Ingroup Identification Increases Differentiation in Response to Egalitarian Ingroup Norm under Distinctiveness Threat

Abstract

Previous findings suggest that high identifiers show their group loyalty by deviating from group norms that do not allow the group to react in an adaptive manner towards a threatening outgroup (i.e., when the ingroup norm is egalitarian). In this study, using natural groups (French and North Africans), we aimed at extending our understanding of such loyalty conflict by examining the relationship between ingroup identification and intergroup differentiation (stereotyping and prejudice) as a function of distinctiveness threat and ingroup norms. Results showed a positive relationship between identification and prejudice both in the discriminatory norm condition when intergroup similarity was low and in the egalitarian norm condition when intergroup similarity was high, reflecting a loyalty conflict. Furthermore, in the latter condition, the relationship between identification and stereotyping was negative. Implications of these findings for social influence processes and intergroup similarity with regards to stereotyping and prejudice are discussed.