People often favor groups they belong to over those beyond the in-group boundary. Yet, in-group favoritism does not always occur, and people will sometimes favor an out-group over the in-group. We delineate theoretically when in-group favoritism (i.e., self-protection) and out-group favoritism (i.e., benevolence) should occur. In two experiments, groups’ relative status and competence stereotypes were manipulated; groups’ outcomes were non-contingent in Experiment 1 and contingent in Experiment 2. When allocating reward, members of a low status group were self-protective, favoring the in-group over the out-group under both non-contingent and contingent outcomes. Those with high status benevolently favored the out-group when outcomes were non-contingent, but were self-protective with contingent outcomes. People were willing to engage in social activities with an out-group member regardless of competence. However, when task collaboration had implications for the self, those with low status preferred competent over less competent out-group members. Traits of high status targets were differentiated by those with low status in both experiments, whereas those with high status differentiated low status members’ traits only when outcomes were contingent. A general principle fits the data: the implications of intergroup responses for the self determine benevolence and self-protection. Implications for the Self Determine Benevolence and Self Protection in Intergroup Relations
Bias against overweight people is documented; however, little attention has been directed to bias against thin people. Theoretically, light and heavy bodies can invoke an affective mechanism leading to bias and avoidance of those different physically from the average.Participants (N = 62) rated six same or opposite sex targets varying randomly in weight. Ratings of traits and liking were curvilinear as a function of weight and showed bias against light and heavy targets. For heavy targets, negative affect predicted discriminatory behavioural intentions; stereotypes did not.
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