Threats to group value, domain-specific self-esteem and intergroup discrimination amongst minimal and national groups

• Published in: British journal of social psychology 2005-09, Vol.44 (3), p.329-353
• Main Authors: Hunter, John A., Cox, Sarah L., O'Brien, Kerry, Stringer, Maurice, Boyes, Mike, Banks, Mike, Hayhurst, Jillian G., Crawford, Maria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Australia; Australians; Biological and medical sciences; Discrimination; Ethnic Groups; Favouritism; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Group Dynamics; Group Identity; Group values; Humans; Ingroups; Intergroup discrimination; Intergroup Relations; Male; Mathematics; Membership; National culture; New Zealand; Physical Fitness; Pilot Projects; Prejudice; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Self Concept; Self Esteem; Selfesteem; Social Behavior; Social Identification; Social interactions. Communication. Group processes; Social psychology; Social Values; Threats; Verbal Behavior
• ISSN: 0144-6665; 2044-8309
• DOI: 10.1348/014466604X17939

The research reported in this investigation sought to examine the self‐esteem hypothesis (SEH) using measures of domain‐specific and public collective self‐esteem (CSE). Two studies were conducted. Each tested both propositions of the SEH. The first study revealed that minimal group members (a) experienced an increase in that domain of self‐esteem judged to be relatively more important to the in‐group, following the display of in‐group favouritism and (b) that minimal group members with low public CSE (and who thus believed that the in‐group was negatively evaluated by the out‐group) showed enhanced levels of in‐group favouritism. The second study, which utilized the members of real social categories (i.e. New Zealanders and Australians) and negative outcome allocations (i.e. white noise) revealed identical findings. The theoretical implications of these results are discussed.