Ingroup Identification Increases Differentiation in Response to Egalitarian Ingroup Norm under Distinctiveness Threat

Fabrice Gabarrot,Juan Manuel Falomir-Pichastor

doi:10.5334/irsp.22

Fabrice Gabarrot, Juan Manuel Falomir-Pichastor

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5334/irsp.22

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Abstract

Previous findings suggest that high identifiers show their group loyalty by deviating from group norms that do not allow the group to react in an adaptive manner towards a threatening outgroup (i.e., when the ingroup norm is egalitarian). In this study, using natural groups (French and North Africans), we aimed at extending our understanding of such loyalty conflict by examining the relationship between ingroup identification and intergroup differentiation (stereotyping and prejudice) as a function of distinctiveness threat and ingroup norms. Results showed a positive relationship between identification and prejudice both in the discriminatory norm condition when intergroup similarity was low and in the egalitarian norm condition when intergroup similarity was high, reflecting a loyalty conflict. Furthermore, in the latter condition, the relationship between identification and stereotyping was negative. Implications of these findings for social influence processes and intergroup similarity with regards to stereotyping and prejudice are discussed.

Highlights

Gabriel Mugny and his colleagues have intensively investigated factors moderating the influence of egalitarian and discriminatory norms on intergroup attitudes and behavior (e.g., Pérez & Mugny, 1993)
Group identification and conflicting motives Past research shows that both defensive reactions to ingroup threat and conformity to ingroup norms are intrinsically related to group dynamics (Tajfel & Turner, 1986), and that they are positively related to ingroup identification, which is defined as the strength of an individual’s ties with their ingroup identity (Ellemers, Spears & Doosje, 2002)
Identification was not related to stereotyping in any other condition: in the similarity/discriminatory norm condition, B = –0.09, F(1, 70) = 0.04, p = 0.83, ηp2 < 0.01; in the low similarity/egalitarian norm condition, B = 0.47, F(1, 70) = 1.39, p

Summary

Introduction

Gabriel Mugny and his colleagues have intensively investigated factors moderating the influence of egalitarian and discriminatory norms on intergroup attitudes and behavior (e.g., Pérez & Mugny, 1993). We investigated whether ingroup identification predicted intergroup differentiation as a function of group norms (egalitarian versus discriminatory) and perceived threat to ingroup distinctiveness (low versus high). They examined the influence of egalitarian and discriminatory norms on discrimination against immigrants as a function of perceived threat (Falomir-Pichastor, Muñoz-Rojas, Invernizzi & Mugny, 2004; Falomir-Pichastor, et al, 2009a, 2009b; Falomir-Pichastor, Chatard, Selimbegovic, Konan & Mugny, 2013; Gabarrot, Falomir-Pichastor & Mugny, 2009; for a review, see Falomir-Pichastor & Mugny, 2013). We aim to increase our understanding in how high identifiers deal with loyalty conflict by investigating conformity as a function of ingroup distinctiveness threat and the (descriptive versus evaluative) nature of the differentiation process

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