Social Dominance and Social Identity in the United States and Israel: Ingroup Favoritism or Outgroup Derogation?

Abstract

American and Israeli university students completed questionnaires in their native languages assessing ingroup identification, social dominance orientation (SDO), and ingroup and outgroup affect. The interrelationships among the variables were examined for high‐ and low‐status groups in three intergroup contexts: whites and Latinos in the United States, Ashkenazim and Mizrachim in Israel, and Jews and Arabs in Israel. Theoretical predictions of social identity theory and social dominance theory were tested. Results indicated that for all high‐ and low‐status groups, stronger ingroup identification was associated with more positive ingroup affect, and for nearly all groups, higher SDO was associated with more negative affect toward the low‐status group. In addition, SDO was positively associated with ingroup identification for all high‐status groups, and negatively associated with ingroup identification for almost all low‐status groups. Explanations for cross‐cultural differences in the factors driving group affect are suggested, and theoretical refinements are proposed that accommodate them.