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Effects of group membership, intergroup competition and out‐group ethnicity on children's ratings of in‐group and out‐group similarity and positivity
Author(s) -
Nesdale D……………rew,
Griffiths Judith A.,
Durkin Kevin,
Maass Anne
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
british journal of developmental psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 2044-835X
pISSN - 0261-510X
DOI - 10.1348/026151006x150382
Subject(s) - ethnic group , psychology , group (periodic table) , salience (neuroscience) , developmental psychology , chemistry , organic chemistry , sociology , anthropology , cognitive psychology
Based on self‐categorization theory (SCT; Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher, & Wetherell, 1987), this study examined the extent to which 7‐ and 10‐year‐old children's perceptions of similarity to, and positivity towards, their in‐group would be increased by factors predicted to enhance the salience of in‐group–out‐group categorizations. In a minimal group study, participants met the in‐group before or after the out‐group (group timing), the out‐group had the same or different ethnicity as the in‐group (out‐group ethnicity), and there was or was not to be a competition between the in‐group and the out‐group (intergroup competition). Ratings of the in‐group similarity were influenced by the out‐group ethnicity, but not by group timing or intergroup competition. Consistent with SCT, participants rated themselves as more similar to the in‐group when the out‐group had different vs. the same ethnicity. SCT's predictions concerning in‐group positivity were not confirmed. Instead, participants rated the in‐group more positively than the out‐group and the in‐group was rated more positively, when participants met the in‐group before rather than after the out‐group. Older compared with younger participants were also more prepared to change groups when the out‐group had different ethnicity. The implications for SCT are discussed.