Values, national identification and favouritism towards the in‐group

Abstract

This study investigated the value correlates of in‐group favouritism at the national level using a sample of 281 university undergraduates in Adelaide, South Australia. It was hypothesized that positive relations between in‐group favouritism and national identification would be stronger among subjects with strong collectivist values than among those for whom collectivist values were less important. Subjects completed a Cultural Cringe Scale designed to measure subjects' evaluation of Australia's products and achievements compared with those of comparable overseas countries, the Schwartz Value Survey, and measures of national identity and identification with Australia. The Cultural Cringe Scale was scored in the direction of in‐group bias towards Australia. Results showed that in‐group bias was positively correlated with national identification and that this correlation was stronger for subjects who assigned high importance to values concerned with conformity and security and low importance to hedonistic values. Results therefore supported the hypothesis for some value types and they also implied the need to consider collectivist and individualistic values separately in regard to their possible moderating effects on relations between in‐group bias and identification with the group or collectivity.