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Running Head: MY GROUP IS BETTER THAN YOURS 1 My Group is Better Than Yours: Perception of Personality and Character Differences Under Minimal Groups
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Mullan, Aidan |
| Copyright Year | 2018 |
| Abstract | Research has demonstrated that group identification creates a desire to distinguish the ingroup from the out-group. A well-known mechanism of group assignment, the minimal groups paradigm, has been used to show that group differentiation occurs even when no actual distinction exists between the in-group and out-group. However, little research has been conducted looking at whether individuals perceive members of their own in-group as being characteristically different than members of the out-group, using a minimal groups assignment. The present research evaluated whether individuals differentiate ingroup and out-group members on personality and character traits, even when all real differences have been removed using minimal groups. This study found that members of the out-group were rated more positively on average than members of the in-group. Additionally, members of both groups were rated more positively on socially favorable traits than less favorable or arbitrary traits. These findings suggest that minimal groupings may not be sufficient to create an association between an assigned group member and his or her in-group. In this case, heuristics such as out-group homogeneity bias and trait favorability may become more salient in the group judgment process. MY GROUP IS BETTER THAN YOURS 3 My Group is Better Than Yours: Perception of Personality and Character Differences Under Minimal Groups What makes the groups to which we belong different from any other group? By associating with a particular group or institution, we create an in-group – all of the people that belong to the same group – and an out-group – all people not affiliated with the group (Castano, et. al., 2002). We develop a sense of value from our group memberships and are motivated to create and maintain positive group distinctiveness (Spears, 2011; Tajfel, 1978). This desire to differentiate between our in-groups and out-groups has led to a significant body of research dedicated to evaluating the processes by which we make such distinctions. Several studies have shown that intergroup distinctions are made, using measures such as judgments of behavior or implicit association tasks, even when all true differences are removed using the minimal groups paradigm. (Ashburn-Nardo, Voils, & Monteith, 2001; DiDonato, Ulrich, & Krueger, 2011). The minimal groups paradigm is used to randomly assign individuals to groups under the pretense that their assignment is based on some personal trait or ability. Those assigned to the minimal groups are not informed that the groupings are random. Doing this allows people to draw assumptions about the characteristics or qualities of their own group, even though no such distinctions exist due to the random construction of the groups. This assignment mechanism is widely used throughout intergroup dynamics literature. However, no empirical research has been conducted to determine whether individuals assigned to minimal groups differentiate their in-groups from their out-groups on the basis of personality and character traits, under a true minimal groups design. MY GROUP IS BETTER THAN YOURS 4 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://aidanmullan.com/docs/MyGroupIsBetter_report.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
