Liking Low-Status? Contextual and Individual Differences in Attributional Biases of Low-Status Outgroup Members
Previous studies on biased intergroup perceptions of outgroups’ irrationality mostly treated the target groups as opponents and rivals. In three studies, we extended this line of research and tested the hypothesis that individuals who challenge the existing social hierarchy exhibit more positive bia...
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doaj-1991569a99fc47d68ddab191401e33772020-11-25T03:46:06ZengPsychOpenJournal of Social and Political Psychology2195-33252019-03-017119221210.5964/jspp.v7i1.951jspp.v7i1.951Liking Low-Status? Contextual and Individual Differences in Attributional Biases of Low-Status Outgroup MembersTomasz Besta0Gülçin Akbas1Emma A. Renström2Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka3Alexandra Vazquez4Institute of Psychology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, PolandDepartment of Psychology, Atilim University, Ankara, TurkeyDepartment of Psychology, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, SwedenInstitute of Psychology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, PolandDepartment of Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, UNED, Madrid, SpainPrevious studies on biased intergroup perceptions of outgroups’ irrationality mostly treated the target groups as opponents and rivals. In three studies, we extended this line of research and tested the hypothesis that individuals who challenge the existing social hierarchy exhibit more positive biases toward low-status outgroup members. We also hypothesized that when irrational thinking is framed as an important human trait, this bias is reduced among low social dominance orientation (SDO) individuals. In three studies (N = 169, N = 450, and N = 161), conducted in countries that vary in power distance levels (Poland, Spain, Sweden and Turkey), we examined under which conditions low-status outgroups are perceived as more rational than ingroup members. The results show that in a condition without irrationality framed as a human trait, psychology students (Study 1 and Study 2) and nonstudents low in group-based dominance orientation (Study 3) perceive outgroup members as less irrational than ingroup members. However, when participants were reminded that irrationality is a human trait, the perceived differences between in- and outgroup members were reduced. This effect was observed in all four countries (Study 1 and Study 2) and held when variables related to the tendency to behave in a socially desirable way were controlled for (Study 3).http://jspp.psychopen.eu/article/view/951social perceptionhierarchyirrationalitygroupsintergroup relations |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Tomasz Besta Gülçin Akbas Emma A. Renström Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka Alexandra Vazquez |
spellingShingle |
Tomasz Besta Gülçin Akbas Emma A. Renström Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka Alexandra Vazquez Liking Low-Status? Contextual and Individual Differences in Attributional Biases of Low-Status Outgroup Members Journal of Social and Political Psychology social perception hierarchy irrationality groups intergroup relations |
author_facet |
Tomasz Besta Gülçin Akbas Emma A. Renström Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka Alexandra Vazquez |
author_sort |
Tomasz Besta |
title |
Liking Low-Status? Contextual and Individual Differences in Attributional Biases of Low-Status Outgroup Members |
title_short |
Liking Low-Status? Contextual and Individual Differences in Attributional Biases of Low-Status Outgroup Members |
title_full |
Liking Low-Status? Contextual and Individual Differences in Attributional Biases of Low-Status Outgroup Members |
title_fullStr |
Liking Low-Status? Contextual and Individual Differences in Attributional Biases of Low-Status Outgroup Members |
title_full_unstemmed |
Liking Low-Status? Contextual and Individual Differences in Attributional Biases of Low-Status Outgroup Members |
title_sort |
liking low-status? contextual and individual differences in attributional biases of low-status outgroup members |
publisher |
PsychOpen |
series |
Journal of Social and Political Psychology |
issn |
2195-3325 |
publishDate |
2019-03-01 |
description |
Previous studies on biased intergroup perceptions of outgroups’ irrationality mostly treated the target groups as opponents and rivals. In three studies, we extended this line of research and tested the hypothesis that individuals who challenge the existing social hierarchy exhibit more positive biases toward low-status outgroup members. We also hypothesized that when irrational thinking is framed as an important human trait, this bias is reduced among low social dominance orientation (SDO) individuals. In three studies (N = 169, N = 450, and N = 161), conducted in countries that vary in power distance levels (Poland, Spain, Sweden and Turkey), we examined under which conditions low-status outgroups are perceived as more rational than ingroup members. The results show that in a condition without irrationality framed as a human trait, psychology students (Study 1 and Study 2) and nonstudents low in group-based dominance orientation (Study 3) perceive outgroup members as less irrational than ingroup members. However, when participants were reminded that irrationality is a human trait, the perceived differences between in- and outgroup members were reduced. This effect was observed in all four countries (Study 1 and Study 2) and held when variables related to the tendency to behave in a socially desirable way were controlled for (Study 3). |
topic |
social perception hierarchy irrationality groups intergroup relations |
url |
http://jspp.psychopen.eu/article/view/951 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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