Intergroup behaviour

Question 1

Relative deprivation

Answer 1

 Sense of having less that we feel entitled to
 Egoistic relative deprivation: personal feeling of having less than entitled to
o personal stress
 Fraternalistic relative deprivation: group has less than it is entitled to relative to its aspirations or outgroups
o Associated with social unrest
 J-Curve: a graphical figure that captures the way in which relative deprivation arises when attainments suddenly fall short of expectations

Question 2

Social identity theory

Answer 2

= Theory of group membership and intergroup relations based on self-categorisation, social comparison and the construction of a shared self-definition in terms of ingroup-defining properties
 Society is constructed into distinct social groups that stand in power and status relations to one another
 Social categories (groups) provide people with a social identity
o Ethnocentrism, ingroup-favouritism & intergroup differentiation
 Prototypes that are shared by all group members
 Categorising of group members leads to depersonalisation
o Perception and treatment of self and others as prototypical embodiment of a social group rather than an individual
 Self-categorisation produces ingroup normative behaviour (behave in line with prototype)

Question 3

Uncertainty-identity theory

Answer 3

 Social identity processes motivated by uncertainty reduction
 Need to know who we are and how we relate to other people
 Need to know what to expect from other people in order to make life predictable and plan effective action
 Group identification effectively reduces uncertainty
o Defines relationship to in- and outgroup and sets how we and others will act
o Identify with entitative groups when highly uncertain because better structured thus clearer sense of self (might explain extremism)

Question 4

Accentuation effect

Answer 4

Overestimating of similarities among people within category

Question 5

Integrated threat model

Answer 5

o Realistic threat: threat to the existence of one’s group
o Symbolic threat: posed by outgroup to own values, beliefs, morals and norms
o Intergroup anxiety: threat to self, experienced during intergroup interactions (e.g. embarrassment, fear of rejection)
o Negative stereotypes: fear of intergroup anxiety based on negative stereotypes of an outgroup

Question 6

Contact hypothesis

Answer 6

o Bringing members of opposing social groups together will improve intergroup relations and reduce prejudice/discrimination

Question 7

Extended contact effect

Answer 7

o Knowing about an ingroup member that shares a close relationship with an outgroup member can improve one’s own attitudes towards the outgroup