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Effects of diversity versus segregation on automatic approach and avoidance behavior towards own and other ethnic groups
Author(s) -
Degner Juliane,
Essien Iniobong,
Reichardt Regina
Publication year - 2016
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/ejsp.2234
Subject(s) - outgroup , ingroups and outgroups , psychology , social psychology , ethnic group , moderation , in group favoritism , diversity (politics) , social identity theory , context (archaeology) , ethnically diverse , cultural diversity , minority group , developmental psychology , social group , sociology , paleontology , anthropology , biology
We present the results of a study in which we measured automatic intergroup behavior and evaluations in ethnic majority and minority group members. We focus our attention on the level of segregation and diversity of immediate life contexts as indicators of outgroup exposure. Specifically, Dutch ethnic minority and majority students enrolled at ethnically segregated and diverse schools completed a measure of automatic approach and avoidance behavior and reported explicit intergroup attitudes. The research is framed into prevailing theories in the field: Social Identity Theory and System Justification Theory. Results of our study suggest that segregation of minority group members' immediate life context may be an important moderator of evaluations as well as approach and avoidance behavior toward ingroup and outgroup. In particular, minority members in segregated schools showed an approach bias towards their ingroup, whereas minority members in diverse schools showed an approach bias towards the majority outgroup.