Intergroup Behaviour

Question 1

Describe intergroup behaviour

Answer 1

• Behaviour amongst individuals that is regulated by an awareness of and identification with social groups
• The majority of our behaviour is influenced by the social groups that we identify with

Question 2

Describe social categorisation

Answer 2

• Classification of people as members of different social groups
• Appears that people identify with social groups to reduce feelings of uncertainty

Question 3

Describe social identity theory

Answer 3

• Theory of group membership and intergroup relations based on self-categorisation, social comparison and construction of shared definition
  1. Society is structured into distinct social groups e.g. blacks and whites is USA
  2. Social categories provide members with social identities; a definition and evaluation of who and what they are
• Also tells the person what they should think and how they should behave as a member of that particular social group
• Social identity is different from personal identity
• Personal identity is the part of self-concept that comes from personality traits and idiosyncratic personal relationships we have with others
• Associated with interpersonal/individual behaviour rather thagn intergroup behaviour

Question 4

Describe self-categorisation

Answer 4

• Categorising self as a group member produces social identity and intergroup behaviour
• Categorisation can lead to depersonalisation of self/others (not seeing ourselves/others as individuals but as members of a group with the relevant prototype)
• Leads to stereotyping; we behave in line with the prototype of our ingroup, evaluate our/other’s based of it, etc
• Self-categorisation leads to normative behaviour (conformity)
• Self-stereotyping leads us to copy other group members behaviour

Question 5

Describe prototypes

Answer 5

• Attributes (perception, beliefs, attitudes, feelings, behaviour) that distinguishes one group and separates it from all other group
• Prototypes obey the mete-contrast principle; they maximise the differences of intergroup differences to intragroup differences, in doing so they accentuate the entitativity
• Cognitive representations of a group; related to stereotypes
• Context dependent; esp. in newly formed groups (less likely in well established groups due to strong stereotypes
• E.g. Hopkins and Moore (2001) found Scottish people described themselves as different to English people, but described themselves as similar to English when Germans were included to (prototype changed closer to the English prototype)

Question 6

Describe meta-contrast principle

Answer 6

• Increase differences between outgroups

- Increase similarities between ingroups

Question 7

Describe Positive Distinction and Self-Enhancement

Answer 7

• Social identity motivated by self-enhancement and uncertainty reduction
• Intergroup relations are characterised by a struggle over prestige and status
• Groups compete to be different from one another in favourable ways because positive intergroup distinctiveness provides group members with favourable (positive) identity
• Interpersonal comparisons aim for similarity; intergroup comparisons aim for differences in ways that favour the group
• Positive distinction as a group process comes from the basic human motivation to self-enhance
• Self-esteem is key factor of social identity
• Intergroup differentiation leads to increased self-esteem
• Low self-esteem doesn’t motivate intergroup differentiation
• Collective self-esteem is related to group processes - not individuals
• People in groups are highly competent and creative and protecting themselves from low self-esteem consequences of low status group memberships

Question 8

Describe uncertainty reduction

Answer 8

• Social identity processes are motivated by uncertainty reduction
• People need to know who they are, how they relate to others, need to feel relatively certain about what to think, feel, say, do and what others think, feel and do
• Need to know what to expect and have life be predictable so we are able to plan
• Group identification is highly effective in achieving this due to prototypes
• When we feel uncertain about ourselves, we prefer to identify with highly entitative groups as they are very structured and have a clearer sense of self