Can ingroup affirmation relieve outgroup derogation?

• Published in: Journal of experimental social psychology Vol. 44; no. 5; pp. 1395 - 1401
• Main Authors: McGregor, Ian, Haji, Reeshma, Kang, So-Jin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.09.2008; Elsevier; Academic Press
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Consensus; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Group dynamics; Groups; Intragroup relations; Meaning; Outgroup derogation; Personal need for structure; Personal uncertainty; Personality; Prejudice; Psychological aspects; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Self-affirmation; Self-perception; Social interactions. Communication. Group processes; Social psychology; Stereotypes; Uncertainty; Personal uncertainty; Groups; Personal need for structure; Self-affirmation; Outgroup derogation; Meaning; Consensus; Human; Multiculturalism; Self assertiveness; Uncertainty; Social interaction; Intergroup relation
• ISSN: 0022-1031; 1096-0465
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2008.06.001

Intergroup hostilities are an important social concern in multicultural societies and the global community. Individuals with dispositionally high Personal Need for Structure (PNS) are particularly inclined toward outgroup derogation [Schaller, M., Boyd, C., Yohannes, J., O’Brien, M. (1995). The prejudiced personality revisited: Personal need for structure and formation of erroneous group stereotypes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 544–555]. The present research demonstrates that ingroup affirmation can eliminate high PNS individuals’ tendency toward outgroup derogation. Spontaneous (Study 1) and experimentally manipulated affirmations (Study 2) of consensual, positive ingroups eliminated the high PNS tendency to derogate outgroup targets. Study 3 experimentally manipulated the two key elements that are presumably bolstered by ingroup affirmations—self-certainty and self-worth—independent of the group context. The high PNS tendency to derogate outgroups was relieved only in the combined certainty and worth affirmation condition, just as it had been relieved in Study 2 by the ingroup affirmation. Results suggest a paradoxical strategy for relieving derogation of outgroups by affirming ingroups.