Deep down my enemy is good: Thinking about the true self reduces intergroup bias

Abstract

TRUE SELF & INTERGROUP BIAS 2Intergroup bias -preference for one's in-group relative to out-groups -is one of the most robust phenomena in all of psychology. Here we investigate whether a positive bias that operates at the individual-level, belief in a good true self, may be leveraged to reduce intergroup bias. We find that even stereotypically threatening out-group agents are believed to have a good true self (Experiment 1). More importantly, consideration of in-group and outgroup members' true self reduces intergroup bias, both in the form of explicit evaluative judgments (Experiment 2) and actual donation behavior (Experiment 3). Across studies, the palliative effects of thinking of an individual's true self generalize to that individual's entire group. In sum, a simple intervention -thinking about another's true self -reduces the gap in how people evaluate and treat out-group relative to in-group members. We discuss implications of these findings for conflict reduction strategies.

Prickles and goo: Human rights and spirituality

“…Some forms of spiritual practice-particular forms of meditation and contemplation, for example-have been shown to decrease practitioners' bias against and increase their sense of connection to other individuals, including members of out-groups (Kang, Dovidio, and Gray 2014;Lueke and Gibson 2015;de Freitas and Cikara 2018). Such perceptual shifts may be explained in part by altered activation of the "default mode network" in the brain, a region associated with construction of the sense of self (Schmalzl, Crane-Godreau, and Payne 2014: 3).…”

Addiction, Identity, Morality

“…Similarly, if pre-addiction Jim and post-addiction Jim are sufficiently different from one another in terms of fundamental personality characteristics, we might say, “Jim is not the same person anymore,” but—according to Starmans and Bloom—this should be understood as a figure of speech: “a way of saying that there has been significant psychological change, not that one person has [literally] ceased to exist and another has been created” (Starmans and Bloom 2018, 567). However, a recent comment by De Freitas and colleagues (2018) emphasizing the central role of moral attributes in personal identity suggests that such expressions may not be merely figurative but rather literal, such that there is indeed a meaningful sense in which pre-addiction and post-addiction Jim are numerically distinct.…”

“…Similarly, another clinic notes that “for an individual to reclaim their former self after being affected by substance abuse, they need to be ready to commit to serious lifestyle changes, starting with quitting,” and “With a commitment to a healthy, more positive lifestyle, an addicted person can surely find themselves again ” (Mountainside 2017, emphasis added). Indeed, we are encouraged by recent work in this vein suggesting that consideration of an out-group member’s true self can help to reduce intergroup bias (De Freitas and Cikara 2018). Insofar as people with addictions are considered part of an out-group, a focus on their good true self may suggest new strategies for mitigating the stigmas surrounding drug addiction—especially now that the “brain disease” strategy has, as we noted in the introduction, failed to stand up to empirical scrutiny.…”

Introduction to the Special Issue: Authenticity: Novel Insights Into a Valued, Yet Elusive, Concept

“…People tend to apply normative considerations when evaluating the authenticity of themselves and others and generally believe that deep down, people are morally good (Christy et al, 2017; De Freitas & Cikara, 2017; De Freitas et al, 2017; Fleeson & Wilt, 2010; Newman, Bloom, & Knobe, 2014; Strohminger et al, 2017).…”