Lecture 5 - Us vs Them

"What is the difference between personal identity and collective identity?

Personal identity = unique traits about yourself. Collective identity = identity derived from group membership. Social Identity Theory argues that group memberships become part of the self-concept."

"According to Turner (1982), when does a psychological group exist?

A group exists when two or more individuals perceive themselves to be members of the same social category. The key idea is subjective identification."

"Why do humans categorise people into groups?

Categorisation reduces cognitive load, creates order and meaning, reduces uncertainty, and supports self-esteem."

"What is identity salience?

Identity salience refers to how important or noticeable an identity is in a specific situation."

"Difference between chronically accessible and situationally accessible identities?

Chronically accessible identities are consistently important parts of the self-concept. Situationally accessible identities are activated by context or environment."

"Who developed Social Identity Theory?

Henri Tajfel and John Turner."

"What is the main claim of Social Identity Theory?

Simply categorising people into groups is enough to create ingroup favouritism and intergroup bias."

"What is an ingroup and an outgroup?

Ingroup = the group we belong to. Outgroup = the other group."

"What was the aim of the Minimal Group Paradigm studies?

To test whether prejudice and discrimination can emerge even when groups are meaningless and randomly assigned."

"Describe Tajfel et al.’s Minimal Group study (1971).

Schoolboys evaluated paintings supposedly by Klee or Kandinsky, were randomly assigned into groups, and then allocated points to ingroup and outgroup members."

"What did Tajfel’s Minimal Group studies find?

Participants consistently favoured members of their own group, even when groups were arbitrary."

"What is meant by maximising relative rewards in Minimal Group studies?

Participants preferred giving their own group a comparative advantage over the outgroup, even if it meant fewer total rewards overall."

"How did Minimal Group findings challenge Muzafer Sherif’s Robbers Cave study?

Sherif argued prejudice develops through competition for limited resources, whereas Tajfel showed prejudice can emerge without competition."

"Why is the Minimal Group Paradigm important?

It became the foundation for Social Identity Theory because it showed how easily intergroup bias forms."

"What is ethnocentrism?

The belief that one’s own ethnic or social group is central, superior, and better than others."

"How did Gumplowicz describe ethnocentrism?

He compared it to geocentrism, arguing people place their own group at the centre and glorify it while devaluing outsiders."

"Difference between nationalism and patriotism according to Kosterman & Feshbach (1989)?

Nationalism involves superiority and dominance over other nations. Patriotism involves love, pride, and attachment to one’s country."

"Which is more associated with prejudice: nationalism or patriotism?

Nationalism, because it involves superiority and dominance."

"Who developed the Dual Process Model of prejudice?

John Duckitt."

"What are the two major ideological predictors of prejudice in the Dual Process Model?

Right-Wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Orientation."

"What is Right-Wing Authoritarianism?

A belief system focused on social order, obedience, tradition, and security. It develops from perceiving the world as dangerous."

"Example statement linked to Right-Wing Authoritarianism?

Society will be destroyed if traditional values are challenged."

"Which groups are most disliked by people high in Right-Wing Authoritarianism?

Groups seen as threatening, deviant, or socially disruptive such as atheists, protestors, drug users, and feminists."

"What is Social Dominance Orientation?

A preference for hierarchy and inequality between groups."

"Example statement linked to Social Dominance Orientation?

Inferior groups should stay in their place."

"Which groups are most targeted by Social Dominance Orientation?

Low-status or disadvantaged groups."

"What worldview is linked to Right-Wing Authoritarianism?

Dangerous worldview."

"What worldview is linked to Social Dominance Orientation?

Competitive worldview."

"What did Sibley & Duckitt’s (2008) meta-analysis investigate?

The relationship between personality variables and prejudice across 71 studies involving over 22,000 participants."

"What did the meta-analysis find about Right-Wing Authoritarianism and prejudice?

There was a strong positive correlation of r = .49 between Right-Wing Authoritarianism and prejudice."

"What did the meta-analysis find about Social Dominance Orientation and prejudice?

There was a strong positive correlation of r = .55 between Social Dominance Orientation and prejudice."

"Similarity between Social Identity Theory and the Dual Process Model?

Both see group identity as central to prejudice and agree that context matters."

"Main difference between Social Identity Theory and the Dual Process Model?

Social Identity Theory focuses on group processes and context, while the Dual Process Model focuses more on stable personality differences."

"According to the lecture, is prejudice caused only by personality or only by context?

No. Prejudice is usually produced by both personality and context interacting."

"According to Glick & Fiske (1996), what is prejudice fundamentally about?

Power and inequality. Prejudice involves systems and beliefs that allow some groups to dominate, neglect, or harm others."

"Why is prejudice rarely symmetrical?

Because groups usually do not possess equal social power."