Group evaluations as self‐group distancing: Ingroup typicality moderates evaluative intergroup bias in stigmatized groups

• Published in: European journal of social psychology Vol. 50; no. 6; pp. 1108 - 1124
• Main Authors: Essien, Iniobong, Otten, Sabine, Degner, Juliane
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bognor Regis Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.10.2020
• Subjects: Bias; Black white relations; Body weight; Group identity; ingroup favoritism; ingroup typicality; Intergroup bias; intergroup evaluations; Intergroup relations; Obesity; People with disabilities; self‐group distancing; Skin color; social identity; Stigma; stigmatized groups; Support groups; Systematic review; Typicality
• ISSN: 0046-2772; 1099-0992
• DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2708

Outgroup favoritism among members of stigmatized groups can be seen as a form of self‐group distancing. We examined how intergroup evaluations in stigmatized groups vary as a function of ingroup typicality. In Studies 1 and 2, Black participants (N = 125,915; N = 766) more strongly preferred light‐skinned or White relative to dark‐skinned or Black individuals the lighter their own skin tone. In Study 3, overweight participants (N = 147,540) more strongly preferred normal‐weight relative to overweight individuals the lower their own body weight. In Study 4, participants with disabilities (N = 35,058) more strongly preferred non‐disabled relative to disabled individuals the less visible they judged their own disability. Relationships between ingroup typicality and intergroup evaluations were at least partially mediated by ingroup identification (Studies 2 and 3). A meta‐analysis across studies yielded an average effect size of r = .12. Furthermore, higher ingroup typicality was related to both ingroup and outgroup evaluations. We discuss ingroup typicality as an individual constraint to self‐group distancing among stigmatized group members and its relation to intergroup evaluations.