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Perceptions of attitudinal similarity in ethnic groups in the U.S.: ingroup and outgroup homogeneity effects
Author(s) -
THOMPSON SUZANNE C.,
KOHLES JEFFREY C.,
OTSUKI TERESA A.,
KENT DOUGLAS R.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
european journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1099-0992
pISSN - 0046-2772
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-0992(199703)27:2<209::aid-ejsp815>3.0.co;2-7
Subject(s) - outgroup , ingroups and outgroups , psychology , social psychology , homogeneity (statistics) , ethnic group , perception , in group favoritism , developmental psychology , social group , social identity theory , sociology , statistics , mathematics , neuroscience , anthropology
The outgroup homogeneity phenomenon was examined by having majority group members (White Americans) judge the variability in attitudes about intergroup relations in their own group and one outgroup (African Americans). A preliminary study found the threat of the attitude statements to the group doing the judging seemed to affect whether or not participants showed outgroup or ingroup homogeneity. For the present study, statements about ethnic group relations were prerated to obtain two sets of items that aroused either high or low threat to White Americans. White students judged the homogeneity of these items for their own group and for African Americans. Outgroup homogeneity was found for the low threat items and ingroup homogeneity was found for the high threat items. This study demonstrates that the homogeneity effect depends on the threat of the attitude content to the group doing the judging. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.