`They Cooperate With Us, So They Are Like Me': Perceived Intergroup Relationship Moderates Projection from Self to Outgroups

Abstract

Whereas projection of self-attributes to ingroups is ubiquitous, projection of self-attributes to outgroups (outgroup projection) is an elusive phenomenon. Two experiments examined the moderating effect of perceived intergroup relationship on outgroup projection and explored underlying mechanisms. Perceived cooperation versus competition between ingroup and outgroup was manipulated using fictitious (Experiment 1) or natural groups (Experiment 2). In both experiments, participants judged the outgroup as more similar to the self in the cooperation condition than in the competition condition. This effect was independent of recategorization, perceived intergroup similarity, and ingroup-to-outgroup projection. These studies demonstrate the very existence of outgroup projection and extend previous work on moderators of projection from self to groups

Anticipated cooperation vs. competition moderates interpersonal projection

“…Cooperation, Competition and Interpersonal Projection 17 outgroup projection had already shown that perceived intergroup interdependence moderates projection (Riketta & Sacramento, 2008) and that positive ingroup-outgroup contacts increase outgroup projection (Stathi & Crisp, 2008). The current experiments extend this work to the interpersonal level.…”

“…These traits were borrowed from Riketta and Sacramento (2008) who pretested them to be unrelated to cooperation and competition. Participants had to indicate the extent to which each of the traits (e.g., progressive, silent, creative) characterized them on a 9-point rating scale ranging from 1 (= not at all) to 9 (= very much).…”

“…The analysis used the ratings of the target as our criterion and self-ratings and valence of traits as predictors at level 1. In Experiment 1, the valence of traits was coded positive or negative on the basis of Riketta and Sacramento's (2008) study. The anticipated interdependence (cooperation vs. competition) was included as a moderator variable at level 2.…”

Nice or smart? Task relevance of self-characteristics moderates interpersonal projection

“…In other words, more social projection is observed in cooperative contexts both at the interpersonal and intergroup levels. At the intergroup level, Riketta and Sacramento (2008) found that people are more likely to see an outgroup as similar to themselves if it is cooperating rather than competing with the ingroup. At the interpersonal level, Toma et al (2010) recently showed that people see a target person as more similar to themselves when they anticipate cooperation rather than competition with the target person.…”

The Power of Projection for Powerless and Powerful People

“…These traits, borrowed from Riketta and Sacramento (2008), represent four of the Big Five personality traits (extraversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, and openness to Running head: POWER AND INTERPERSONAL PROJECTION 6 experience; four adjectives for each trait). Participants had to indicate the extent to which each of the traits (e.g., progressive, sociable, slow) characterized them.…”