Self-esteem threat spurs ingroup favoritism, but chronic low self-esteem does not

Evidence

The reverse (from threatened self-esteem to ingroup favoritism) also fares better in the short run. When people’s self-esteem is specifically threatened – particularly if they have high self-esteem – they increase ingroup favoritism (Crocker, Major, & Steele, 1998). Being insecure or anxious increases stereotyping (Wilder & Shapiro, 1989) and outgroup derogation (Wills, 1981). Self-esteem threat also facilitates the automatic activation of stereotypes (Spencer et al., 1998). However, chronically low self-esteem does not motivate ingroup favoritism (Hewstone et al., 2002). — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 343

The reverse (from threatened self-esteem to ingroup favoritism) also fares better in the short run. When people’s self-esteem is specifically threatened – particularly if they have high self-esteem – they increase ingroup favoritism (Crocker, Major, & Steele, 1998). Being insecure or anxious increases stereotyping (Wilder & Shapiro, 1989) and outgroup derogation (Wills, 1981). Self-esteem threat also facilitates the automatic activation of stereotypes (Spencer et al., 1998). However, chronically low self-esteem does not motivate ingroup favoritism (Hewstone et al., 2002). — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 343

The reverse (from threatened self-esteem to ingroup favoritism) also fares better in the short run. When people’s self-esteem is specifically threatened – particularly if they have high self-esteem – they increase ingroup favoritism (Crocker, Major, & Steele, 1998). Being insecure or anxious increases stereotyping (Wilder & Shapiro, 1989) and outgroup derogation (Wills, 1981). Self-esteem threat also facilitates the automatic activation of stereotypes (Spencer et al., 1998). However, chronically low self-esteem does not motivate ingroup favoritism (Hewstone et al., 2002). — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 343

Categorization

• QUESTION: Why do chronically low-self-esteem people not compensate with ingroup favoritism while threatened high-self-esteem people do? What mechanism differs?
• XREF: Supports vault claims on threat-driven prejudice; the high-self-esteem paradox is a useful specification of who derogates. — connects to: Mere group membership suffices to trigger self-esteem-linked favoritism. — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition: Attitudes,…, 126; Affiliation and rejection behaviors function as second-order boosts to self-esteem. — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition: Attitudes,…, 162
• corroborated: 7 independent passages support this claim — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 343; John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty Years…, 343