Playing to the gallery

Investigating the normative explanation of ingroup favoritism by testing the impact of imagined audience

Bibliographic Data

ID15411337
AuthorsVincenzo Iacoviello (0000-0002-6654-8330, University of Geneva, corresponding author), Russell Spears (0000-0001-5244-0575, University of Groningen)
Year2021
Volume21
Issue6
Pages660-686
Publication date2021-06-07
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSelf and Identity (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1529-8868 • E-ISSN: 1529-8876
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/15298868.2021.1933582
OpenAlexW3170012257
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited63

The present research examined the role of social norms as a determining source of ingroup favoritism in minimal groups. Across three studies (total N = 814), results showed that ingroup favoritism was reduced when participants imagined the reaction of an external (and egalitarian) entity, as compared to a control condition or a condition in which they were explicitly asked to imagine the reaction of ingroup members. In line with the prediction that the desire to appear as a good group member drives conformity to the ingroup norm, the findings also revealed that favoring the ingroup resulted in higher self-esteem (Study 2). This was however limited to situations where the ingroup norm was inferred or induced to be pro-discriminatory, but not when it was anti-discriminatory (Study 3). The proposed explanation is discussed in the light of dominant explanations of ingroup favoritism

Conformity · Epistemology · In-group favoritism · Ingroups and outgroups · Norm (philosophy · Normative · Normative social influence · Self-affirmation · Social group · Social identity theory · Cultural Differences and Values · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology

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