NCJ Number
177806
Journal
Social Justice Research Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: March 1999 Pages: 19-38
Date Published
March 1999
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses several studies that focus on social discrimination in the form of in-group favoritism and out-group derogation.
Abstract
The discussion notes that several studies consistently demonstrated a positive-negative asymmetry in social discrimination. In line with classical minimal group experiments, laboratory groups favored their in-group when allocating positive resources or evaluating positive dimensions. However, they refrained from discriminating behavior as soon as negative resources had to be distributed between groups. This appeared to be due to be valence-specific differences in the consideration of social justice. In addition, several studies tested whether social norms inhibiting in-group favoritism and out-group derogation were differently interpreted or weighed due to the valence of resources. Findings indicated a weakness in the social-identity-theory approach to categorization effects and allowed a derivation or alternative or additional explanations. Findings also underscored the importance of normative considerations in intergroup evaluations and allocations. Similar to persons in aggressive interactions, allocators in realistic intergroup distributions probably perceive their behavior as appropriate and legitimized by contextual aspects. Figures, table, and 61 references (Author abstract modified)