Why Groups and Prejudices Form So Easily: Social Identity Theory
As soon as humans are bunched together in groups we start to do odd things: copy other members of our group, favour members of own group over others, look for a leader to worship and fight other groups.
believed it was possible for a group, along with its attendant prejudices, to form at the drop of a hat.
were told their preferences for the paintings would determine which of two groups they would join.
this was a lie designed to set up the idea of 'us' and 'them' in their minds.
Each was then asked to distribute virtual money to the other members of both groups.
they favoured their own group over the other.
Social identity theory states that our identities are formed through the groups to which we belong.
We will then go out of our way to make our own group look better compared to others.
a reason to be selfish about the allocation of the virtual cash
boosting their own identities
clipped from: www.spring.org.uk