Liking one’s own group does not predict hostility toward other groups

Evidence

Contrary to the assumptions of many theorists and researchers within the field of intergroup relations (e.g., Alexander, 1979; Kurzban & Leary, 2001; Sumner, 1906), Brewer (1979) made the early and critical observation that in-group favoritism is distinct from out-group denigration or aggression. Brewer (2007) has reiterated: “Despite widespread belief that in-group positivity and out-group derogation are reciprocally related, empirical research demonstrates little consistent relationship between the two. Indeed, results from both laboratory experiments and field studies indicate that variations in in-group positivity and social identification do not systematically correlate with the degree of bias or negativity toward out-groups” (p. 730). — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 1176

Categorization

Category: Contrarian or Surprising Claims

• XREF: Connects to social identity theory debates and to the broader literature on intergroup contact reducing prejudice without reducing in-group identification.
• SEED: An article angle: why anti-racism interventions that try to reduce in-group pride are fighting the wrong target — in-group favoritism and out-group derogation are separate mechanisms.

Related

• In-group favoritism and out-group derogation are empirically unrelated phenomena (similarity 0.92)
• Favoring one’s own group does not require hating other groups (similarity 0.91)
• In-group bias mostly reflects positive self-regard, not hostility toward outsiders (similarity 0.90)
• Ingroup favoritism operates independently of outgroup hatred (similarity 0.90)
• Ethnocentrism can coexist with indifference, not hostility, toward out-groups (similarity 0.87)
• In-group love and out-group hate are distinct with separate origins (similarity 0.87)
• Ingroup attachment does not necessarily produce outgroup hostility (similarity 0.86)
• Ingroup preference need not translate into any particular attitude toward outgroups (similarity 0.86)
• In-group favoritism can arise without any contrasting out-group present. (similarity 0.86)
• Groups split favorably toward their own members and derogate outgroup attributes (similarity 0.86)
• In-group pride need not involve hostility toward out-groups (similarity 0.86)
• In-group positivity and out-group negativity are only weakly linked, even in hate groups. (similarity 0.86)
• Valuing one’s in-group does not inevitably produce out-group discrimination (similarity 0.85)
• Intergroup discrimination arises from ingroup favoritism, not outgroup hostility. (similarity 0.85)
• In-group bias arises from preferential in-group treatment rather than out-group hostility (similarity 0.85)