Ingroup vs. Outgroup influences
An in-group is a social group to which a person mentally identifies as a member in sociology and social psychology. An out-group, on the other hand, is a social group with which a person does not identify. People may identify with their social group, family, community, sports team, political party, gender, religion, or country, among other things. It has been discovered that psychological participation in social groups and categories is linked to a broad range of occurrences.
Henri Tajfel and colleagues popularised the word while developing social identity theory. The minimum group paradigm was used to determine the relevance of in-group and out-group classification. Tajfel and colleagues discovered that individuals may construct self-preferencing in-groups in minutes, and that such groups can emerge even on the basis of wholly arbitrary and contrived discriminating traits, such as preferences for certain paintings.
Associated phenomena
The psychological categorization of people into in-group and out-group members is associated with a variety of phenomena. The following examples have all received a great deal of academic attention.
In-group favoritism
This refers to the fact that under certain conditions, people will prefer and have affinity for one’s in-group over the out-group, or anyone viewed as outside the in-group. This can be expressed in one’s evaluation of others, linking, allocation of resources, and many other ways.
Discrimination between in-groups and out-groups is based on preference for an in-group and the lack of similar fondness for an out-group. Out-group derogation is the phenomena in which members of an in-group see an out-group as threatening. This phenomena often occurs with in-group favouritism since it necessitates an attachment for one’s in-group. According to some study, out-group derogation occurs when an out-group is regarded as impeding or impeding the aims of an in-group. Out-group derogation has also been proposed as a natural byproduct of the categorization process.
Social influence
People have been shown to be differentially influenced by in-group members. That is, under conditions where group categorization is psychologically salient, people will shift their beliefs in line with in-group social norms.
This generally refers to the tendency of groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclination of its members, although polarization toward the most central beliefs has also been observed. It has been shown that this effect is related to a psychologically salient in-group and outgroup categorization.
Group homogeneity
Categorization of people into social groups increases the perception that group members are similar to one another. An outcome of this is the out-group homogeneity effect. This refers to the perception of members of an out-group as being homogenous, while members of one’s in-group are perceived as being diverse, e.g. “they are alike; we are diverse”. This is especially likely to occur in regard to negative characteristics. Under certain conditions, in-group members can be perceived as being similar to one another in regard to positive characteristics. This effect is called in-group homogeneity.
Postulated role in human evolution
Some of the differences between in-group and out-group are as follows:
(1) The groups with which individual identifies himself are his in group. one’s family, one’s college are example of his in group. But out groups refers to those groups with which individual do not identify himself. These are outside groups. Pakistan is an out group for Indians.
(2) In group members use the term ‘we’ to express themselves but they use the term ‘they’ for the members of out-group.
(3) Individual is the member of his in group whereas he is not at all a member of his out group.
(4) In group based on ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is one of the important characteristic of in group. But out group is not based on ethnocentrism.
(5) Similarity in behavior, attitude and opinion is observed among the members of in group. But they show dissimilar behavior; attitude and opinion towards the members of out group.
(6) In group members have positive attitude towards their own in group but they have negative attitudes towards their out group.
(7) Members of in group display co-operation, good-will, mutual help and possess a sense of solidarity, a feeling of brotherhood and readiness to sacrifice themselves for the group. But individual shows a sense of avoidance, dislike, indifference and antagonism towards the members of out group.
(8) In group is a group to which individual belongs to but all other group to which he does not belongs to are his out group.
(9) Members of in group feel that their personal welfare is bound up with other members of group but out group members do not feel so.