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Unlock This CourseHave you ever noticed how you feel more connected to people who support the same football team as you? Or how you might help a classmate from your school more quickly than someone from a rival school? This is ingroup favouritism in action - a key part of Social Identity Theory that explains why we prefer and help people who belong to our groups.
Social Identity Theory, developed by Henri Tajfel and John Turner in the 1970s, explains how our sense of who we are comes partly from the groups we belong to. It's not just about individual identity - it's about group identity too.
Key Definitions:
1. Social Categorisation: We put people (including ourselves) into groups based on characteristics like nationality, school, or interests.
2. Social Identification: We adopt the identity of the group we belong to and start to act in ways that fit with that group.
3. Social Comparison: We compare our group with other groups, usually in ways that make our group look better.
Ingroup favouritism is like having a special loyalty card for your group members. You're more likely to help them, trust them and see them in a positive light. This isn't necessarily because you dislike people from other groups - it's because you have a natural preference for your own group.
Even the smallest differences can create ingroup favouritism. Psychologists have found that people will show favouritism even when groups are formed randomly - like being assigned to a "red team" or "blue team" for no real reason!
Students helping classmates from their own school more than students from other schools, even in neutral situations.
Fans supporting their team's players even when they make mistakes, whilst criticising similar mistakes by opposing teams.
People feeling more motivated to help during natural disasters in their own country compared to similar disasters abroad.
In 1954, Muzafer Sherif conducted a famous study with 11-year-old boys at a summer camp. He divided them into two groups - the "Eagles" and the "Rattlers". Even though the boys were similar in background, they quickly developed strong loyalty to their own group and hostility towards the other group. The Eagles would only cheer for their own team and would boo the Rattlers. This showed how quickly ingroup favouritism can develop, even among people who could easily be friends.
Why do we show ingroup favouritism? There are several psychological reasons that make this behaviour almost automatic:
When our group does well, we feel good about ourselves. This is called "basking in reflected glory". Think about how proud you feel when your school wins a competition - even if you weren't directly involved, you still feel good because you're part of that group.
By favouring our ingroup, we make ourselves feel more valuable and important. If our group is special, then we must be special too. This helps protect our self-esteem and gives us confidence.
We naturally trust people who are similar to us more than those who are different. This makes evolutionary sense - throughout history, cooperating with your group helped ensure survival. People who looked, spoke, or acted like you were more likely to help you in times of need.
Group members often share similar beliefs and values, making cooperation easier and more predictable.
People in the same group often communicate in similar ways, reducing misunderstandings and conflicts.
Group members expect that if they help someone in their group, they'll receive help back when needed.
Ingroup favouritism shows up everywhere in daily life, from small classroom interactions to major social movements. Understanding these examples helps us recognise when we're doing it ourselves.
Research shows that people donate more money to charities that help people from their own country, region, or ethnic group. For example, after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, donations from Western countries were initially higher for tourist areas where Western visitors were affected, compared to local communities with similar needs. This demonstrates how ingroup favouritism influences our prosocial behaviour - we're more generous to those we see as part of our group.
While ingroup favouritism can cause problems, it also has positive effects that help society function:
Ingroup favouritism helps create tight-knit communities where people look out for each other. Neighbours help neighbours and local communities come together during crises. This creates social support networks that improve everyone's wellbeing.
However, ingroup favouritism can also create serious problems in society:
Favouring your own group can lead to unfair treatment of others, affecting job opportunities, friendships and social inclusion.
Strong ingroup favouritism can escalate into hostility between groups, leading to bullying, violence, or even war.
People may develop oversimplified views of other groups, missing out on individual differences and potential friendships.
Understanding ingroup favouritism helps us manage its effects. Psychologists have identified several ways to reduce harmful group bias while keeping the positive aspects of group identity.
Elliot Aronson developed the "jigsaw classroom" method to reduce prejudice between different ethnic groups in schools. Students from different backgrounds work together in small groups, with each person responsible for teaching one part of the lesson to others. This creates interdependence - everyone needs everyone else to succeed. Studies show this method reduces prejudice and increases cross-group friendships while maintaining positive group identity.
The goal isn't to eliminate group loyalty - it's to expand our definition of who belongs to our "group" and reduce harmful bias against others.
When different groups work together towards a common goal that benefits everyone, ingroup favouritism can extend to include the other group. For example, when schools from different areas collaborate on environmental projects, students develop positive feelings towards the "outgroup" schools.
Ingroup favouritism is a natural part of human psychology that serves important functions in building communities and encouraging cooperation. While it can lead to discrimination and conflict, understanding how it works helps us harness its positive effects while minimising harm. The key is expanding our sense of who belongs to our "group" and recognising our common humanity with others.
By being aware of our own ingroup favouritism, we can make more conscious choices about when to show group loyalty and when to extend our prosocial behaviour to include people from different groups. This awareness is crucial for building a more inclusive and cooperative society.