In-Group Biass In Groups

In-group bias
In-group dynamics are the underlying process that gives rise to a set of norms, roles, relations and common goals that characterise a particular social group. Beliefs within the in-group are based on how individuals in the group see their other members. Research since the 1970’s has found that many group biases are more a function of favouritism towards one’s own group than negative feelings towards other groups. According to Marilyn Brewer, 1991, “ultimately, many forms of discrimination and bias may develop not because out-groups are hated but because positive emotions such as admiration, sympathy and trust are reserved for the in-group”. In Psychology, in-group bias is the tendency of people to favour their own group while

This exists when members of the group credit successes to their personalities, and failures to situational factors. Members of an in-group also tend to think of members of their group as better than outsiders, and they tend to lump outsiders together, while viewing members of the in-group as diverse and unique individuals. This type of error is also associated with the defense mechanism, rationalization. Rationalization protects self-esteem and self-concept so when confronted by success or failure, people tend to attribute achievement to their own qualities and skills while failures are blamed on other people or outside

First, individuals cannot serve as their own control group and test whether they would have received better treatment as a member of more privileged groups (Fiske, 1998). Second, discrimination is easier to detect with aggregated evidence than single cases, because single cases are easy to explain (Crosby, 1984). Third, individuals may deny discrimination to avoid feeling that they are being mistreated by others or that they do not have control over their situation (Ruggerio & Taylor, 1997; Taylor, Wright, Moghaddam, & Lalonde, 1990). As a result of these and other reasons, women and minorities are more likely to perceive discrimination against their group than against themselves personally (Crosby, 1984; Taylor, Wright, & Porter, 1994). To correlate the research on barrier to the removal of discrimination and Lenli’s case study, she might be unable to detect discrimination by the group towards