Is self-esteem predictor of in-group bias and out-group discrimination?

9 It is a well-known fact that identification with a certain group influences social behaviour of an individual. This is especially true for perception of out-group members through stereotypes and prejudice, as well as for interaction with them, which can be either biased or discriminatory, depending on evaluation of particular out-group. Social Identity Theory SIT (Tajfel & Turner, 1986) was originally developed to understand the psychological basis of intergroup discrimination. Basic assumption of SIT is that individuals are motivated to develop positive identity, which gives them a feeling of safety, enhances their selfesteem and feeling of self-worth. However, SIT highlighted the difference between personal and social identity. While personal identity refers to evaluations of ourselves, social identity is a combination of personal evaluation of one’s group and perception of how others see and evaluate the group we belong to. Namely, seeing oneself as an in-group member entails assimilation of the self into the in-group category prototype and enhanced similarity to other in-group members and the in-group is cognitively included in the self (e.g., Smith & Henry, 1996). Trust is extended to fellow ingroup, but not out-group, members (Insko, Schopler, Hoyle, Dardis, & Graetz, 1990; Insko et al., 1998). Therefore, positive self-concept can be achieved through individual characteristics (personal identity) as well as the characteristics of the groups one belongs to (social identity). In other words, it is important to evaluate one’s own group more positively in comparison to other groups in order to maintain or achieve positive social identity connected with membership in that particular group. In case when the in-group is not evaluated favourably in comparison with the out-group, social identity is negative and individual is motivated to use one of the strategies for maintaining or enhancing social identity. The strategies most commonly used in these situations are in-group bias and out-group discrimination. According to Tajfel and Turner (1979), three variables are particularly important for the emergence of in-group favouritism. First, it is the extent to which individuals identify with a certain in-group. It is important to determine whether they have internalized that group membership as an aspect of their selfconcept. Second variable is the extent to which the prevailing social context provides ground for comparison between groups. Finally, the third factor is the perceived relevance of the comparison group. Research shows that individuals are likely to display favouritism when the in-group is central to their self-definition and a given comparison is meaningful or the outcome is contestable (Oakes, Haslam, & Turner, 1994; Branscombe & Wann, 1994; Forgas & Williams, 2001). It should be emphasized that different methodological paradigms suggest the existence of these two components Margareta Jelić, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Lučićeva 3, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia. E-mail: [email protected] (the address for correspondence). Is self-esteem predictor of in-group bias and out-group discrimination?