Two experiments evaluated the effect of role assignment on intergroup bias. A social categorization model (Brewer & Miller, 1984) predicts a reduction in bias when the basis for assignment to task roles or subgroup composition in a contact situation is category independent (cross‐cut) rather than category related (convergent). Conversely, a model based on social identity theory (Brown & Wade, 1987; Deschamps & Brown, 1983) suggests that when distinct task role assignments converge with category membership, threat to group identity and consequent intergroup bias will be reduced. To clarify these conflicting predictions, we created a cooperative contact setting in which members of two experimentally created groups worked together as a team. During the team membership phase, work roles either converged with or cross‐cut initial group membership. Experiment 1 supported the predictions of the social categorization model; subjects in the cross‐cut condition perceived greater similarity among team members and, in turn, showed less intergroup bias in reward allocation, than did those in the convergent condition. Two variables hypothesized to account for this outcome were the absence of negative task attitudes and the opportunity for personalization. In Expt 2, procedures likely to increase negative task attitudes and reduce personalization were inserted into the procedure of both conditions in an experimental design that paralleled that of Expt 1. Under these conditions, the differential effects of role assignment were eliminated. Taken together, these studies suggest that cross‐cutting role assignment will reduce intergroup bias when it is implemented in a manner that does not arouse negative task attitudes but does provide opportunity for personalization of team mates.

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This experiment investigated the effects of group cohesiveness and estimations of consensus on opinion certainty. Members of high-or low-cohesive groups indicated their own attitude positions on 6 civic issues in a context removed from the taskoriented situation in which the groups were developed. Each person then estimated the positions of in-group or out-group members or participated in a no-projection control condition. As expected, estimation of the attitudes of either target group conferred opinion certainty onto cohesive members compared with levels found in the noprojection condition or among low-cohesive participants. Furthermore, perceptions that coworker input was facilitated and encouraged during group development mediated the effect of the experimental manipulation of cohesion on opinion certainty following attitude projection.I thank John Skowronski and James Shepperd for comments on a draft of this article.

The present study represents a further investigation of the apparently complex relationship between self-focus and helping behavior. We propose that the relationship between self-focus and helping is mediated by felt responsibility. Increasing self-focus will increase helping behavior provided that it also leads to increased felt responsibility for the distressed other. We also suggest that salience of the helping request, in part, determines whether or not increased self-focus leads to increased felt responsibility and, thus, helping. Specifically, we predicted that under conditions of high helping request salience, increasing self-focus should lead to increased felt responsibility for the welfare of the distressed other and, thus, willingness to help. Under conditions of low helping request salience, increasing self-focus should not lead to increased felt responsibility or helping. The data supported our predictions. Implications of these findings for recent research (Rogers, Miller, Mayer, & Duval, 1982; Gibbons & Wicklund, 1982; Duval, Duval, & Neely, 1979; Wegner & Schaefer, 1978) relating self-focus to helping is also discussed.