Previous research indicates that meta -stereotypes are predominantly negative. However, the valence of the meta -stereotypes may not be the only factor accounting for the detrimental effects associated with their activation. In addition to valence, we propose that the subjective difficulty of retrieving the meta -stereotype might critically determine whether its activation deteriorates intergroup orientations. An experimental study showed that the effect of the meta -stereotype activation on the desire to interact with outgroup members was moderated by the interaction between the valence of the meta -stereotype and its difficulty of retrieval. In particular, the activation of a positive meta -stereotype deteriorated intergroup orientations when the difficulty of retrieval was high as compared with a condition in which the difficulty of retrieval was low. In sharp contrast, the activation of a negative meta -stereotype worsened intergroup orientations when the difficulty of retrieval was low as compared with a condition in which the difficulty of retrieval was high.