Prejudice distorts group judgments most strongly on dimensions that flatter the ingroup

Evidence

With social groups, it is likely that actual group differences along these valenced dimensions (as portrayed in figure 8.1) tend to cancel one another out across multiple attribute dimensions. That is, social groups on average are probably more or less evaluatively equivalent. Consider two social groups, A and B. On some valenced attribute dimensions A is likely to be higher than B, while on others the group difference would be reversed. Nevertheless, social perceivers may be biased in reporting these valenced group differences, such that they may tend to see systematically larger group differences on dimensions that favor one group over the other (say A over B) and smaller group differences on dimensions that favor the other group (say B over A). We use the term valence inaccuracy to refer to the systematic tendency to overestimate the evaluative difference between groups across multiple valenced attribute dimensions. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 862 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Perceivers bias group differences to favor their ingroup across attribute dimensions — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 862; Prejudice serves dual functions of lowering outgroup worth and boosting ingroup entitlement; Intergroup hostility biases how people judge group differences by valence — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty Years…, 863

Broader Connections

• Perceivers bias group differences to favor their ingroup across attribute dimensions #corroborates (0.95) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 862