Dominant Group Members in Intergroup Interaction: Safety or Vulnerability in Numbers?

Abstract

An experiment examined how low- and high-prejudice dominant group members' (LPs' and HPs') reactions to intergroup contact were affected by whether they were accompanied by fellow ingroup members who exhibited prejudice-relevant behavior. Participants answered questions alone or in a group and then estimated how they were viewed by an observer who was an ingroup or an outgroup member. HPs believed that they were viewed more negatively by an outgroup member in the individual than the group condition. LPs showed the opposite effect, which led them to evaluate the outgroup member more negatively in the group condition. All participants in the group condition expected an outgroup member to exaggerate their similarity to the other ingroup members present, and LPs evaluated the other ingroup members more negatively when the observer was an outgroup member. The results suggest that intergroup attitudes guide the types of intergroup contact situations that are experienced most positively.

An integrated process model of stereotype threat effects on performance.

“…Whereas Blacks, Latinos, and American Indians are stereotyped in terms of intellectual skill, White Americans are stereotyped as being racist (Sommers & Norton, 2006;Vorauer, 2003). Thus, White Americans are likely to experience stereotype threat during interracial interactions or on tasks that they believe will reveal their racial biases.…”

The Psychological Benefits and Costs of Positive and Negative Intergroup Contact

“…In this thesis, I argued that negative metaperceptions should be inherently tied to intergroup contact. Specifically, what we think the out-group thinks about our own group should be shaped by the interactions that we have with them (Vorauer, 2003(Vorauer, , 2006Plant & Butz, 2006). In line with my argument, negative contact was directly associated with more negative metaperceptions in addition to old-fashioned and modern prejudice toward Black Americans (Study 1), Mainland Chinese (Study 2), and Muslim Thais (Study 3).…”

“…In line with this literature, empirical research has consistently shown that when majority group members believe that out-group members hold negative preconceptions about them, they tend to reciprocate the negative appraisal and exhibit a wide range of discriminatory behaviors (e.g., Devine, Evett, & Vasquez-Suson 1996;Fein & Spencer, 1997;Kramer & Messick, 1998;Richeson & Shelton, 2003;Richeson, Trawalter, & Shelton, 2005;Sigelman & Tuch, 1997;Vorauer, 2003;Vorauer et al, 1998Vorauer et al, , 2000; also see Vorauer, 2006, for a review). Such discriminatory behaviors may appear to be subtle (e.g., avoiding making eye contact with out-group members and dismissing their opinions and ideas) or apparent (e.g., committing hate crimes and engaging in violent acts against out-group members).…”

“…More specifically, Studies 1-3 demonstrated that both positive contact and negative contact are critical factors that predict the extent to which individuals believe that out-group members view them in a negative light or evaluate them negatively. A large body of research indicates that when individuals hold such negative metaperceptions, they tend to distance themselves from the out-group and avoid future interactions with its members (Devine et al, 1996;Fein & Spencer, 1997;Kramer & Messick, 1998;Sigelman & Tuch, 1997;Vorauer, 2003;Vorauer et al, 1998Vorauer et al, , 2000. Furthermore, these negative metaperceptions can sometimes motivate individuals to commit violent acts against members of the opposing group (see Vorauer, 2006, for a review).…”

“…Thus, hostility can be bred by believing that their interaction partners hold negative evaluations of them (Plant & Butz, 2006;Vorauer, 2003).…”