Intergroup Behaviours

Question 1

What is the J curve hypothesis?

Answer 1

When reality is drastically different to expectations

Question 2

What is relative deprivation?

Answer 2

Difference between the expectation and reality

Question 3

What is egotistic relative deprivation?

Answer 3

when we personally feel deprived relative to others

Question 4

What is fraternalistic deprivation?

Answer 4

when we feel our group is deprived in comparison to other groups

Question 5

What is the V curve hypothesis?

Answer 5

503 Respondents to an interview schedule in 1970
e.g. perceived difference between ‘best situation’ and situation in future
Example item “best possible work situation now and work situation in 5 years’ time”
Hypothesis - PPV will vary with degree of discrepancy between what you expects to achieve in future and best outcome

Y-axis Potential for Political Violence (PPV)
X-axis Levels of gratification

Question 6

Explanation for shape of V curve

Answer 6

Explanation for increased PPV in positive change -
people are nervous about losing the things they have

Negative change -
people blame others e.g government for their situation

Question 7

What is relative gratification?

Answer 7

The sense of gratification that people feel when they compare their position to others and realise they have more

Question 8

What is relative deprivation?

Answer 8

The judgement that you are worse off than those around you. Often accompanied by feelings of anger

Question 9

The V curve hypothesis and immigration

Answer 9

2014 referendum in switzerland
Correlations with ‘yes immigration should be curbed’:

Highest % of yes votes were in regions with either relatively high OR low unemployment (Relative Gratification AND Relative Deprivation)

Poor (relative deprivation) - don’t want outgroup members taking what they think they deserve
Wealthy (relative gratification) - don’t want outgroup taking what they already have

Question 10

The V curve and immigration study 2 - virtual

Answer 10

assigned to different wealth categories in a game
Could see a comparison between them and other members in terms of wealth and what they could buy
Participants were told some newcomers were moving in
21 items measured their attitude towards newcomers

Poor - relative deprivation - don’t want newcomers to take what they think they should have

Wealthy - relative gratification - don’t want newcomers taking what they have

Question 11

How to stop group hostility - boys camp

Answer 11

Cooperation in staged emergencies created ‘superordinate goals’ (e.g. Repairing water tank, rescuing camp truck)

Resulted in reduction in conflict and hostility, cooperative and helpful interactions, formed friendships between groups, sharp decrease in unfavourable stereotypes. All benefitted of the outcome when they all worked together

Question 12

Realistic group conflict theory - Sherrif boys camp

Answer 12

Prejudice and discrimination arose from conflict over real resources
Prejudice arose regardless of personality
Ingroup identification (e.g. ‘I am a Rattler’) was solidified by conflict
Prejudice and discrimination were reduced by working towards shared goals

Question 13

What are the minumum requirements for people to show in group favouritism?

Answer 13

The only necessary condition for intergroup discrimination is the categorisation of ‘self’ and ‘other’ into two distinct groups

Question 14

Minimal group studies - favouring in group over out group members

Answer 14

Asked which painting they prefer
Put in group with others that preferred that painting
No participants met each other during the study
Given a series of matrices (allowed to assign numbers/points to their group and the other group)
Some ps chose the largest number they could give their group
Some picked the numbers that gave their group the largest difference between the other group, even if it meant they got a smaller number e.g 11 and 5 rather than 16 and 15

no group goals
no other links between group membership and personal self-interest;
no social interaction within or between groups
group membership is completely anonymous

BUT participants still favoured members of the ingroup

Question 15

What is social identity theory?

Answer 15

We are in lots of different groups as a part of society
This group identity tells us how we need to behave - in line with the norms of the group

Question 16

4 stage process of group identity

Answer 16

Social categorisation

Identification

Social comparison

Positive differentiation

Question 17

What is social categorisation?

Answer 17

us and them - categorise people as being in the same group or a different group as you

Question 18

What is identification?

Answer 18

we start to behave in accordance with the group norms

Question 19

What is social comparison?

Answer 19

how do we compare to other outgroups?

Question 20

What is positive differentiation?

Answer 20

We want to feel good about the group we are in, hyperfocus on positives of ingroup and hyperfocus on negative aspects of outgroup to widen gap between us and them

Question 21

What are motivations for social identity?

Answer 21

Self enhancement - Positive distinctiveness, believe we are better than the other outgroups, self esteem

Question 22

What is uncertainty reduction?

Answer 22

We like to know how we ‘fit in’, Gives us guidance on how we should behave/think, Predictability

Question 23

What beliefs impact our actions within the group?

Answer 23

Legitimacy of status - is it fair where the group is in the social hierarchy

Permeability of boundaries between groups - is it possible to move into a different group?

Is an alternative to the status quo achievable?

Question 24

What are the 3 main stratergies when group self esteem is low?

Answer 24

Individual mobility – leave the group and join a better one

Social creativity – focus on positive aspects of the group, compare with even worse groups, change value of characteristics of group

Social competition – Challenge the status quo and change the status of the group

Question 25

What are the 3 social identity stratergies?

Answer 25

Social mobility

Social creativity

Social competition

Question 26

What is social mobility?

Answer 26

More likely when group boundaries are permeable (i.e. it is actually possible to change groups). More likely if you’re not particularly attached to the group (i.e. have low ‘identification’)

Question 27

What is social creativity?

Answer 27

When you cannot or don’t want to leave the group
When the status hierarchy is perceived to be legitimate (you accept your group is worse than others in status-relevant ways)
When you can’t imagine it is possible to change things (the status hierarchy is highly stable)

Question 28

What is social competition?

Answer 28

Collective resistance of the status quo
When the status hierarchy is perceived to be illegitimate (you DON’T accept your group is worse than others in status-relevant ways)
When you can imagine it is possible to change things (the status hierarchy is changeable)

Social Competition results in direct group conflicts (e.g. Demonstrating, riots)

Question 29

Real world example of social identity theory - trump supporters

Answer 29

Social Competition and Social Creativity in Online White Supremacist Groups
49 online white supremacist groups

Analysed sites for evidence of:
social competition (advocacy of violence and/or conflict)
social creativity (strategies that redefine ingroup-outgroup comparisons)
Found social creativity was highest
Less advocacy of conflict and violence due to encouraging it being illegal
Social creativity used to lessen outgroups
Reporting threat of outgroup increases in-group commitment

All these things boost positive group identity

Question 30

Early ideas of why people behaved differently in crowds to on their own

Answer 30

LeBon (1908) – alone, people can be cultivated but among a crowd, they become barbaric
Freud (1921) – crowds ‘unlock the unconscious’
McDougall (1920) – crowds are ‘easily swayed’, and lack self consciousness
Perceive to be held accountable for behaviour when on own

Question 31

What is deindividuation?

Answer 31

People are instinctively selfish and aggressive
These instincts are suppressed due to societal norms – as people are identifiable as individuals
In crowds, there is a degree of anonymity which results in instinctive, aggressive behaviour
e.g stanforn prison experiment

Question 32

How does a disguise impact levels of violence - Northern Island

Answer 32

Collected information on 500 attacks between 1994-1996
Offenders who were wearing a disguise (balaclava, hood, mask) more likely to:
Cause serious injury to victim
Vandalise property
Attack multiple victims
Exile the victim

Claim: anonymity of disguise created effects of deindividuation, more likely to engage in irrational behaviour
Only correlational data

Question 33

What is deindividuation theory?

Answer 33

Suggests that anonymity and diffusion of responsibility created by crowd led to the effects of deindividuation - individual mind is ‘lost’
Suggests that anonymity created by ‘disguises’ leads to the effects of deindividuation - individual mind is ‘lost’

Question 34

Criticisms of deindividuation theory

Answer 34

Could be due to reverse argument – people who intended to cause damage and harm wear disguise to avoid identification
Doesn’t account for peaceful crowd behaviours or behaviours which are regulated and rational

Question 35

What is social identity theory?

Answer 35

Group members are motivated towards positive social identity (high self-esteem)

Groups of a low status group may be devalued, or stigmatised by society, which creates negative social identity (low self-esteem)

Question 36

What is the social identity model of deindividuation (SIDE)?

Answer 36

Deindividuation does not lead to a loss of self but only to a decreased focus on personal identity
Deindividuation increases responsiveness to situational group norms and context group norms
Behaviour that is wanted is encouraged e.g praise or others joining in
Behaviour that is not seen as the group norm is discouraged so is less likely to continue to occur
Individual identity is still there but focus is on your social identity
Deindividuation is neutral with respect to general social norms

Question 37

Crowd behaviours as described by SIDE

Answer 37

Crowds act in accordance with the relevant social identity – crowd behaviour is an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ context

Explains why different groups behave differently in same situation – importance of group norms

Behaviour is not random or chaotic but highly regulated

Personal/individual identity is not lost- a shift in identity occurs from individual to social

Question 38

Weaknesses of the SIT model

Answer 38

Fails to explain behaviours of certain group members such as ‘middle class’ looters

Question 39

Strengths of SIT model

Answer 39

Has been used successfully in applied settings involving crowd behaviours
Police training to reduce ‘us versus them’ context
reducing perception of police having more power

Question 40

Weaknesses of deindividuation theory

Answer 40

can’t explain peaceful crowds and why anonymity doesn’t always lead to irrational behaviour

Question 41

Perception of riots - Deindividuation vs SIT

Answer 41

D - ‘normal’ behaviour, in a crowd so don’t have to adhere to social norms to resort to natural behaviour

SIT - intergroup situation, us vs them

Question 42

Identity - Deindividuation vs SIT

Answer 42

D - annonimity leads to a loss of self identity

SIT - shift from personal to social identity

Question 43

Behaviour - Deindividuation vs SIT

Answer 43

D - impulsive, irrational, chaotic

SIT - organised, in keeping with group identity and group norms

Question 44

Relationship between groups - Deindividuation vs SIT

Answer 44

D - no consideration

SIT - acknowledges influence of group hierarchy and self esteem on intergroup relationships