Perceived overlap complexity of ingroups predicts tolerance across cultures

Evidence

Despite its relatively recent introduction to social psychological theory, the notion that social identity complexity tends to be positively associated with out-group attitudes has already accrued consistent empirical support in the few studies that have been conducted to date. In a number of preliminary studies in the United States and Israel, Roccas and Brewer (2002) asked samples of American and Israeli university students to rate the perceived overlap and perceived similarity between a number of predefined groups (for U.S. students, the categories used were white, American, college students, and religious denomination; for Israeli students, the categories used were secular, Israeli, college students, and Jewish). In the U.S. sample, the authors found that individuals who were higher on overlap complexity also scored significantly higher on measures of tolerance toward racial or religious out-groups. The nature of the relationship between similarity complexity and outgroup tolerance was similar, yet did not reach statistical significance. Similarly, in the Israeli sample, the authors found that both overlap and similarity complexity were significantly positively associated with willingness to engage in and acceptability of contact with immigrants from the former Soviet Union. In a further study involving 210 Ohio citizens, Brewer and Pierce (2005) found social identity complexity (measured by means of an overlap complexity measure) to be significantly associated with a range of social attitudes and tolerance measures, including, for example, greater support for multiculturalism and affirmative action and feeling thermometer ratings of specific out-groups. — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 533

Categorization

• XREF: Corroborates the Allport-thread claim that abstract categorization flexibility tracks lowered prejudice; empirical anchor spanning US and Israeli samples.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 533