Group Processes & Intergroup Relations

We propose that in intergroup conflict threat content is important in understanding the reactions of those who experience threats the most: the powerless. Studies 1 and 2 show that powerless groups experience more threat than powerful groups, resulting in the experience of both more anger and fear. Threat content determines which emotions elicit behavior that adequately deals with the situation. When confronted with a physically threatening outgroup, fear elicits an avoidance reaction in powerless groups (Study 1). When valuable resources are threatened, anger makes powerless group members want to confront the outgroup, at least when they strongly identify with their group (Study 2). Study 3 replicates the finding that threat content determines which emotions are functional in directing behavior.

In this experiment, group identification is examined as a potential moderator of the documented racial bias in a shoot–no shoot paradigm. Target race (Black or White) was manipulated within-subjects, and (White) participants’ strength of racial ingroup identification was employed as a continuous predictor. Using signal detection analyses, it was found that the criterion to shoot Black targets decreased as an increasing function of racial ingroup identification. This relationship held even after controlling for gender, social dominance orientation, a measure of cultural stereotyping, and the amount of contact with Blacks. Theoretical implications are discussed.

In two studies we examined women’s willingness to engage in mentoring as a function of the perceived pervasiveness of gender discrimination and the appraised legitimacy of discrimination. In line with predictions, and confirming predictions from social identity theory, we found that perceiving discrimination against women to be illegitimate enhanced willingness to engage in mentoring when discrimination was seen to be pervasive compared to rare. In contrast, when gender discrimination was appraised as more legitimate, pervasiveness of discrimination attributions did not influence willingness to engage in mentoring. Study 2 provided evidence that the interactive effect of pervasiveness and legitimacy is explained by the extent to which mentoring is conceived of as support for collective goals. The results bring to the fore the impact of perceptions of the social context on women’s responses to career-development initiatives.

Much innovative work in organizations takes place in teams. Because organizational demands are complex and resources are limited, teams need to regulate their collective efforts to perform optimally. Based on previous research and a stage-based approach to innovation, it was hypothesized that team-level regulatory focus would predict teams’ activities regarding the generation and promotion of innovative ideas, but not actual implementation. Regulatory focus and innovative performance were measured in an organizational survey study. Results showed that, as expected, regulatory focus affected idea generation and idea promotion, but not idea realization.

Studies presented in this article show that participants attribute greater validity to opinions supported by heterogeneous groups than by homogeneous ones, that this effect occurs whether participants anticipate group belonging or not and that the relationship between heterogeneity and the attribution of validity to opinions is mediated by the perception of participation within heterogeneous groups. More specifically, an experimental scenario was tested in a pilot study (N = 299): group heterogeneity was manipulated and perceived group participation as well as perceived validity of group opinions was measured. Results show the expected effect of heterogeneity on the validation of opinions and also a mediating effect of perceived participation. The main study (N = 336) shows that the effect of heterogeneity occurs not only when participants are mere observers of groups but also when they anticipate group belonging. Furthermore, this study shows that whereas the effect of group heterogeneity was mediated by perceived participation, the effect of group belonging on perceived validity of group opinions was mediated by trust.

Members from diverse workgroups face the challenge to work effectively together. Benefits associated with diversity may be overshadowed by lack of cohesion and subgroup forming, which can withdraw team members from working together cooperatively or helping each other out when necessary. In three studies, we showed that an individual’s focus on relationships (relational identity orientation; Brewer & Gardner, 1996), promotes prosocial behavior towards workgroup members from a different social group. Study 1 showed that high-trait relationally oriented individuals are more willing to cooperate with an outgroup member compared to low-trait relationally oriented individuals. Study 2 showed that priming a relational orientation leads to a higher willingness to help outgroup members compared to priming a personal or collective orientation. In Study 3, we replicated the findings of both studies and additionally tested two person-by-situation interaction models. It appeared that both trait relational identity orientation and identity primes appeared to independently predict cooperation tendencies with fellow workgroup members.

The influence of discussion-induced shared cognition on bargaining behavior was examined. Three studies tested the hypothesis that shared cognition regarding the best method for reaching a bargaining agreement would decrease the frequency of selfish offers. Consistent with this prediction, participants who engaged in such a group discussion made less selfish offers than those who did not discuss (all studies) or those who engaged in a group discussion regarding commonalities that they shared (Study 2). Study 3 showed that the discussion effect was mediated by shared cognition developed through the discussion. Thus, discussion regarding how best to reach bargaining settlements may develop shared cognition that assists in cooperative bargaining. Implications and limitations of the studies are discussed.

The purpose of the study was to identify factors that promote the integration of an outgroup member into an individual’s social network, thus enhancing extended contact. White freshmen randomly assigned to either a white or black roommate completed measures of intergroup anxiety and roommate relationship quality at the beginning of their first term at college. At the end of the term, participants reported the extent to which their roommate was integrated into their social network. In general, black roommates were less integrated into the white participants’ social networks than white roommates. However, roommate integration also depended on relationship quality and intergroup anxiety. For those with lower quality roommate relationships, integration was generally low. For those with higher quality relationships, lower intergroup anxiety enhanced the likelihood of the integration of a black roommate relative to a white roommate. The results highlight factors that may facilitate or inhibit extended contact.

Four studies investigated the effect of imagining intergroup contact on prejudice against people with schizophrenia. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated that a neutral imagined contact task can have negative effects, compared to a control condition, even when paired with incidental positive information (Experiment 2). Experiments 3 and 4 demonstrated, however, that an integrated positive imagined contact scenario does result in less intergroup anxiety and more positive attitudes, even toward this challenging group. Analyses of participants’ descriptions of the imagined interactions in and across the first three studies confirm that positive and high quality imagined contact is important for reducing prejudice, but failing to ensure that imagined contact is positive may have deleterious consequences. We emphasize the importance of investigating the quality of the imagined contact experience, and discuss the implications for using imagined contact as a prejudice-reducing intervention.

We use the integrative prejudice framework to further our understanding of weight prejudice, while simultaneously testing the generalizability of this framework. Participants completed measures of implicit and explicit weight prejudice, egalitarian-based nonprejudicial goals, and perceived weight discrimination. In line with predictions of the integrative prejudice framework based on cognitive consistency principles, implicit and explicit weight prejudice were positively related when nonprejudicial goals were low and perceived discrimination was high, and when nonprejudicial goals were high and perceived discrimination was low, reflecting central components of old-fashioned and modern prejudice, respectively. Furthermore, implicit and explicit weight prejudice were negatively related when nonprejudicial goals and perceived discrimination were both high, reflecting central components of aversive prejudice. In addition to supporting the generalizability of the integrative prejudice framework, this research demonstrates that weight prejudice may operate in different forms that map onto existing theories of prejudice.