Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 37, 468 – 485 (2001)
doi:10.1006/jesp.2001.1475, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on
Minority and Majority Discrimination: When and Why
Geoffrey J. Leonardelli and Marilynn B. Brewer
The Ohio State University
Received July 10, 2000; revised January 10, 2001; accepted January 11, 2001; published online June 8, 2001
This research examined reasons for the frequently obtained finding that members of numerically minority groups exhibit greater
intergroup discrimination than members of majority groups and also sought to determine the conditions under which members of both
majority and minority groups exhibit intergroup discrimination. Experiment 1 examined the role of group identification and found that
discrimination by members of a majority group was equivalent to that of minority group members when identification was
experimentally induced. Experiments 2 and 3 examined further the underlying bases for minority and majority discrimination.
Consistent with predictions derived from optimal distinctiveness theory (Brewer, 1991), identification with the in-group was found to
be a necessary condition underlying intergroup discrimination, but motivations for discrimination varied as a function of satisfaction
with in-group size and distinctiveness. © 2001 Academic Press
demonstrated in a number of contexts, the motivations that
underlie this difference in in-group bias have not been fully
explored. One explanation is that discrimination by minority group members may reflect the insecurity associated
with categorization in a relatively disadvantaged or vulnerable group (Ellemers, Doosje, van Knippenberg, & Wilke,
1992; Sachdev & Bourhis, 1984, 1991; Simon, 1992; Simon
& Brown, 1987). Perhaps minority group members discriminate to reduce or compensate for the insecurity associated
with belonging to a smaller group; majority group members,
by contrast, discriminate less because they find security in
their group size and have less need to increase the level of
in-group advantage.
A second explanation is that discrimination by minority
group members reflects the greater in-group salience associated with their smaller size (Bettencourt et al., 1999;
Mullen et al., 1992). One version of this explanation proposes that members who belong to these more salient minority groups will discriminate more than members of majority groups simply because minority members are more
focused on the in-group than are majority group members.
In a test of this hypothesis, Bettencourt et al. found that
perceptions of in-group salience did mediate the effects of
group size on in-group bias. Not only was ingroup salience
positively associated with in-group bias, but controlling for
in-group salience reduced the effect of in-group size on
in-group bias to nonsignificance.
Clearly, this evidence illustrates that group salience plays
a role in the effect of group size on discrimination. What
A consistent finding in the experimental and field research literature on intergroup discrimination is that members of numerically smaller (minority) groups discriminate
more than members of numerically larger (majority) groups
(Mullen, Brown, & Smith, 1992). While the term “minority
group” is sometimes used to refer to an inferior or negatively valued group (e.g., Blanz, Mummendey, & Otten,
1995), the terms “minority” and “majority” here refer
strictly to relative group size. All other things being equal,
relatively smaller groups have been found to exhibit more
in-group bias than larger groups on a number of measures
(e.g., Bettencourt, Miller, & Hume, 1999; Brewer, Manzi, &
Shaw, 1993; Brown & Smith, 1989; Gerard & Hoyt, 1974;
Leonardelli, 1998; Sachdev & Bourhis, 1984; Simon &
Brown, 1987).
Although enhanced discrimination by members of minority groups relative to members of majority groups has been
The research reported in this article was supported by funding from NSF
Grant SBR-9514398 awarded to the second author. The authors acknowledge the efforts of several research assistants who helped conduct the
experimental sessions: Shruti Shivpuri, Scott Charles, Jun Woo, Yoerina
Handojo, Dan Miller, Adam Jones, Robert Hilliker, and Carey Hollingsworth. Appreciation is also extended to Michael Walker, Robert MacCallum, Yuri Tada, Jill Jacobsen, and Michael Silver for statistical advice and
to the members of the OSU Social Cognition Research Group, who
provided much constructive feedback at various stages of the research. The
third experiment was conducted as part of Shruti Shivpuri’s honor’s thesis.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Geoffrey Leonardelli,
Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, 1885 Neil Avenue,
Columbus, OH 43210. E-mail:
[email protected].
468
0022-1031/01 $35.00
Copyright © 2001 by Academic Press
All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
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DISCRIMINATION
this explanation is lacking, however, is a motivational component; group salience may play a role in intergroup discrimination by directing group focus, but salience itself
does not necessarily provide a motivational explanation for
the relatively greater discrimination exhibited by minority
group members. It is not clear whether in-group focus in the
case of minority groups enhances insecurity and anxiety
which then motivates discrimination against the out-group
or whether in-group focus enhances positive in-group identification which motivates discrimination in favor of the
in-group.
Building on the in-group salience explanation, the theory
of “optimal distinctiveness” (Brewer, 1991, 1993) provides
a basis for understanding what motivational state might be
associated with membership in a relatively small, salient
in-group. In contrast to explanations that assume that minority group membership constitutes a less valued or more
vulnerable social identity than majority group membership,
optimal distinctiveness theory suggests that minority status
may be a source of positively valued social identity. This
theory posits that people prefer groups that provide sufficient inclusiveness within the group and sufficient differentiation between the in-group and out-group, and groups that
meet both needs will engage strong in-group identification
and associated in-group favoritism. Optimal distinctiveness
theory proposes that minority identities meet both needs
because of their greater distinctiveness in contrast to large
majority groups. Thus, when individuals are placed into a
minority group, they are predicted to be more satisfied and
more likely to identify with that group than individuals
assigned to a large majority group.
Social identification and group satisfaction are both expected to create the conditions under which minority and
majority group members exhibit in-group favoritism. First,
social identification is expected to be a necessary (although
not a sufficient) antecedent of in-group bias. It has been
demonstrated in a number of research contexts that members of minority groups are more identified with their group
than are majority members (Abrams, 1994; Blanz et al.,
1995; Brewer & Weber, 1994; Ellemers & van Rijswijk,
1997; Simon & Brown, 1987; Simon & Hamilton, 1994,
Experiment 1). According to optimal distinctiveness theory,
minority group members should not only be more identified
but also more satisfied with their in-group than majorities,
and it is this positive valuing of the in-group that is assumed
to underlie their ingroup bias. On the other hand, members
of nondistinctive majority groups are predicted to be less
satisfied with their membership and more likely to disengage from that social identity. This disengagement makes it
unlikely that group members will exhibit discrimination in
the form of in-group favoritism. From this perspective also,
the lesser discrimination on the part of members of majority
groups reflects a failure to identify with that group and
hence little or no motivation for in-group bias. Although
in-group identification per se is not necessarily a sufficient
explanation for intergroup discrimination, discrimination on
behalf of fellow group members is unlikely unless identification has been engaged.
As a first step in examining the implications of optimal
distinctiveness theory for understanding the motivations
underlying differences in in-group bias by members of
majority and minority groups, our initial experiment tested
the idea that differential identification with the in-group is
one determining factor. Specifically, Experiment 1 was designed to test directly the hypothesis that, in the absence of
identity induction, individuals assigned to majority categories identify less with their group than individuals assigned
to a minority category. The experiment also tested the
prediction that differences between majority and minority
group discrimination would be eliminated if majority group
members were induced to identify with their assigned category. Further experiments were then designed to explore
the conditions under which minority and majority members
would exhibit bias and the different motivations that might
underlie discrimination as a function of in-group size and
distinctiveness.
EXPERIMENT 1
This experiment used a minimal group categorization
scheme to classify individuals into minority and majority
groups. Following classification, but before measures of
in-group identification and discrimination, a procedure was
introduced designed to enhance identification with category
assignment for half of the participants. Thus, the experiment
consisted of a 2 (In-group Size: Majority vs Minority) ⫻ 2
(Identification Induction: High vs Low) between-participants design.
We predicted two additive main effects of our manipulations on in-group identification. Based on optimal distinctiveness theory and evidence from previous research
(Abrams, 1994; Blanz et al., 1995; Brewer & Weber, 1994;
Ellemers & van Rijswijk, 1997; Simon & Brown, 1987;
Simon & Hamilton, 1994, Experiment 1), minority group
members were expected to spontaneously identify with their
group more than majority group members. In addition, we
expected a main effect of our induction manipulation such
that participants in the high induction condition would identify more than those in the low induction condition.
On the discrimination measure, two alternative predictions could be made. If identification is both a necessary and
sufficient explanation for discrimination, as some theorists
claim (e.g., Gagnon & Bourhis, 1996; Perrault & Bourhis,
1998, 1999), then there should be a one-to-one correspondence between level of identification and degree of in-group
bias. In that case, we would expect two main effects of our
experimental variables such that minority group members
discriminate more than majority group members, and indi-
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LEONARDELLI AND BREWER
viduals in the high induction condition should discriminate
more than those who were not induced to identify. In
addition, responses on the identification scale should mediate the responses on the discrimination measure; controlling
for identification should reduce the variance accounted for
by the in-group size and identity induction manipulations.
On the other hand, if, as we and others theorize (e.g., Brown
et al., 1992; Hinkle & Brown, 1990), identification is a
necessary, but not a sufficient, explanation for discrimination, then an interaction would be expected between ingroup size and identity induction on the discrimination
measure. Under low induction, minority group members
should discriminate more than majority group members (as
has been found in previous work). Under high induction
(assuming that the induction raises identification by majority members to a sufficient level), however, the group size
effect on the measure of social discrimination should be
eliminated. In other words, the induction manipulation
should make a significant difference in in-group bias for
those in majority groups but should have no significant
effect on the expression of bias by minority group members
(who are sufficiently identified even under low induction
conditions).
METHOD
Participants were randomly categorized into groups in
accord with the procedures of the minimal group paradigm
(Tajfel, Billig, Bundy, & Flament, 1971). A dot estimation
exercise was used as the vehicle for categorization into two
social groups; information about in-group size was embedded in the participants’ dot estimation performance feedback. Following categorization, participants completed a
social identification scale followed by zero-sum allocation
matrices, which served as the measure of discrimination or
in-group bias.
Participants
Ninety-one students (60% women, 85% European Americans) at the Ohio State University participated in the study.
Participants received course credit for their involvement.
Procedure
Between 7 and 12 participants completed the experiment
in any given session. Once everyone was seated, the experimenter and an assistant explained that the study investigated dot estimation as an indicator of perceptual acuity and
preconscious style. A brief description of the estimation task
was provided, and the students then made estimates for a
total of 10 dot trials.
After the task, the assistant took the participants’ estimates into the next room, ostensibly to categorize them. The
assistant gave the sheets to another researcher, who randomly classified participants into one of the two in-group
size conditions. A sheet was prepared for each participant
that contained a description of their classification. All participants who were classified as minority members read the
following description:
The test you just took examined one’s abilities underlying dot estimation. Dot estimation has been related to perceptual acuity and
preconscious style, two important abilities of the mind which are used
to classify people as overestimators and underestimators. Your test
results indicate that you are an underestimator, and that you are part
of a minority portion of the population. Most people are overestimators; in fact, 75– 80% of them are. You fall into a group that represents 20 –25% of the population. We don’t have time right now, but
we will be glad to spend time discussing your score with you after the
session. For purposes of identifying your category membership for the
rest of the study, we have attached the letter “U” to your identification
number. Please use this full designation on all remaining forms.
Individuals classified as majority group members read the
same paragraph, but with the following sentences in place of
the italicized sentences: “Your test results indicate that you
are an overestimator, and that you are part of the majority
portion of the population. Few people are underestimators;
in fact only 20 –25% of them are. You fall into a group that
represents 75– 80% of the population.”
Immediately following this categorization feedback, participants received the identification induction in the form of
a questionnaire ostensibly intended to assess their “fit” to
the typical category member. Following the induction questionnaire, participants completed a self-report identification
scale and then the allocation task, which consisted of four
zero-sum allocation matrices.
Identification induction. The manipulation was an adaptation of a method developed by Salancik (1974) in the
attitude measurement domain (and also used by Jetten,
Spears, & Manstead, 1997, in the context of an in-group
categorization experiment). The technique relies on inducing biased scanning (Janis & King, 1954) to lead individuals
to endorse or reject statements as self-descriptive. When
statements are preceded by moderate qualifiers such as
“sometimes” or “on occasion,” the wording induces respondents to think of confirming instances from their own memory and to be likely to endorse the statement as something
true about themselves. When extreme qualifiers such as
“always” or “never” preface the same statement, scanning is
biased toward disconfirming instances and likely to result in
rejection of the item as not true of the self. In the present
study, qualifiers were used systematically to manipulate
participants’ rate of endorsement of statements that were
said to be typical of members of their estimation category.
The identification induction came in the form of a “Lifestyles Questionnaire,” in which all participants were asked
to rate whether each of a list of in-group characteristics was
descriptive of themselves. Instructions indicated that the
statements on the questionnaire represented descriptions
471
DISCRIMINATION
that had been found in past research to be characteristic of
most members of the participant’s estimator category. Each
list contained eight descriptive statements, tailored to appear plausible as characteristics for “overestimators”
(e.g., “. . . I find myself overestimating the amount of time I
need to complete a task”) or for “underestimators”
(e.g.,“. . . I underestimate how much money I am able to
spend, so that I won’t spend too much”), depending on the
participant’s categorization condition. Whereas Jetten et al.
(1997) used the procedure to manipulate individuals’ attitudes toward the in-group, an attempt was made here to
keep the behavior characteristics themselves relatively neutral in order to avoid evaluative implications about the
group. 1
High and low induction versions of the same questionnaire differed in the qualifiers that were added to each
statement. Each statement was preceded either by a moderate frequency quantifier (e.g., “At times, I find myself . . .”)
or by a more extreme frequency quantifier (e.g., “Almost
always, I . . .”) in order to affect the likelihood of endorsement of that item. In the high induction condition (designed
to induce respondents to endorse most of the statements as
true of themselves), six of the eight behaviors were prefaced
by a moderate quantifier, with only two worded more extremely. In the low induction condition, four of the behaviors were prefaced by moderate quantifiers and four by
extreme quantifiers (in order to produce a neutral, 50 –50,
distribution of item endorsement).
To respond to each item, individuals indicated whether
each in-group descriptor was self-descriptive by circling the
word “True” or “False” next to each statement. This manner
of responding left a visible record of the number of “true”
endorsements the respondent had made by the time he or
she completed the one-page questionnaire. With the high
induction version of the questionnaire, the biased scanning
should produce a high proportion of “true” responses, leading to a self-perception of typicality as a category member.
In the low induction version, true and false responses should
be closer to 50 –50 and essentially neutral. We expected this
low induction condition to produce results equivalent to
those of a no induction condition; here minority group
members were expected to identify more than majority
group members.
felt they were similar to and belonged to the in-group
category and whether they felt connected to the group. The
six items included on the scale were the following, which
were pulled from various identification scales found in the
literature (identity subscale of the collective self-esteem
scale, Luhtanen & Crocker, 1992; the identification with a
psychological group scale, Mael & Tetrick, 1992): “I feel
that this group is an important reflection of who I am,” “I
don’t act like the typical person of this group” (reversescored), “I have a number of qualities typical of members of
this group,” “Belonging to this group is an important part of
my self-image,” “If someone praises this group, it would
feel like a personal compliment,” and “If someone criticizes
this group, it would feel like a personal insult.” Participants
responded to these items using a 6-point response scale (1 ⫽
Strongly Disagree to 6 ⫽ Strongly Agree). After recoding
the reverse-scored item, responses were summed; total
scores could range from 6 to 36, where larger responses
indicated greater identification. Internal consistency for the
six-item scale was acceptable (␣ ⫽ .63).
Allocation matrices. The allocation task was introduced
as a questionnaire examining the “underlying principles”
guiding alternative distributions of money. Participants
were asked to indicate their preference for allocations between two individuals in the present study, one identified as
an underestimator and one as an overestimator. It was
emphasized that many different principles of allocation are
possible and equally justifiable. Four zero-sum allocation
matrices (adapted from Tajfel et al., 1971; Matrix Type B in
Experiment 1) were used to assess whether allocators preferred fair (equal) distributions or distributions that favored
one group member over the other. Zero-sum matrices are
global measures of discrimination where the total allocation
amount is fixed; for these matrices, as allocation for one
group increases, allocation for the other group necessarily
decreases. The index of discrimination for these matrices
was computed by subtracting out-group allocations from
in-group allocations across the four matrices, creating a
difference score where positive numbers indicate in-group
favoritism, negative numbers indicate out-group favoritism,
and values near zero indicate a tendency toward fairness.
RESULTS
Dependent Measures
Social identification scale. Items on the measure of
social identification asked the extent to which respondents
1
Pilot testing confirmed our expectations. Fifteen participants rated the
characteristics, with their frequency qualifiers removed, on how positive
each behavior was believed to be (1 ⫽ Very Negative, 3 ⫽ Neutral, 5 ⫽
Very Positive). Analysis indicated that the mean rating of underestimator
characteristics (M ⫽ 3.24, SD ⫽ .27) did not differ from the mean rating
of overestimator characteristics (M ⫽ 3.29, SD ⫽ .24), t(14) ⫽ ⫺.63,
p ⫽ .54.
Preliminary Analyses
Outliers. Box plots on the identification scale with the
full sample (N ⫽ 91) indicated that two individuals had
extremely high scores (32). In addition, box plots on the
difference score revealed one individual with an extremely
high score (56) and another with an extremely low score
(⫺46). These four individuals were dropped from further
analyses, resulting in N ⫽ 87 across the four experimental
conditions.
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LEONARDELLI AND BREWER
TABLE 1
Means and Standard Deviations for Lifestyles Responses and
Identification: Experiment 1
High induction
Minority
in-group
Majority
in-group
Low induction
Minority
in-group
Majority
in-group
Lifestyles responses 5.14 (1.42) 5.23 (1.27) 5.13 (1.55) 4.05 (1.39)
Identification
20.14 (3.88) 18.32 (4.90) 18.17 (3.98) 16.20 (3.34)
n
22
22
23
20
Note. Standard deviations are in parentheses.
Group manipulation check. A manipulation check was
added at the end of the study to determine whether participants remembered being categorized as minority group
(“underestimator”) or majority group (“overestimator”)
members. All participants correctly reported their group
membership.
Lifestyles responses. On the Lifestyles Questionnaire,
participants responded “True” or “False” as to whether a list
of in-group characteristics was descriptive of themselves.
True responses were coded as a one, and false responses as
a zero; these responses were then summed together, creating
a variable that could range from 0 to 8, with higher scores
indicating that more in-group characteristics were endorsed
as self-descriptive.
If the induction worked as predicted, then participants in
the high induction condition should report greater Lifestyles
endorsement than participants in the low induction condition. In addition, because responding to these measures
followed the in-group size manipulation, responses to this
questionnaire also served as a measure of the effect of
in-group size on self-perception under the low induction
condition. Lifestyles responses were submitted to an analysis of variance (ANOVA), with in-group size and the
identity induction as between-participants factors. Analysis
revealed a significant induction main effect, F(1, 83) ⫽
3.80, p ⫽ .05, 2 ⫽ .04. As expected, participants in the
high induction condition endorsed more in-group characteristics as self-descriptive (M ⫽ 5.18) than did individuals in
the low induction condition (M ⫽ 4.63). In addition, there
was a marginally significant interaction between in-group
size and the identity induction, F(1, 83) ⫽ 3.72, p ⫽ .06,
2 ⫽ .03. The means are presented in Table 1. Minority
members consistently endorsed a high number of in-group
characteristics as self-descriptive, but majority members did
so only when induced to by the biased wording of the
questionnaire. Simple effects tests indicated that under low
induction, minority group members endorsed significantly
more items than majority group members, F(1, 83) ⫽
6.24, p ⫽ .01, 2 ⫽ .07, although both groups endorsed
at least half the items as intended for this condition. In the
high induction condition, however, majority members en-
dorsed in-group characteristics to the same extent as minority members, F(1, 83) ⫽ .05, p ⫽ .83, 2 ⫽ .00, as
intended by the manipulation.
Group Identification
To determine whether the effectiveness of the induction
condition in manipulating self-descriptions actually affected
identification with the in-group, scores on the identification
scale were submitted to a two-way ANOVA. The analysis
indicated a significant main effect of the induction manipulation on identification, F(1, 83) ⫽ 5.42, p ⫽ .02, 2 ⫽
.06. Individuals in the high induction condition reported
higher identification (M ⫽ 19.23) than did individuals in
the low induction condition (M ⫽ 17.26). There was also
a significant main effect of in-group size, F(1, 83) ⫽ 4.68,
p ⫽ .03, 2 ⫽ .05. Members of the minority group
reported higher identification (M ⫽ 19.13) than did majority group members (M ⫽ 17.31). There was no significant interaction effect; high induction increased identification for both majorities and minorities, but members of the
minority group identified more highly than members of the
majority category under both induction conditions (see
Table 1).
Allocation Matrices
Difference scores (i.e., in-group ⫺ out-group) across the
four allocation matrices were used as the measure of discrimination. The scores were submitted to a two-way ANOVA,
which revealed a significant main effect for the identification
induction, F(1, 83) ⫽ 7.20, p ⬍ .01, 2 ⫽ .08. Individuals
induced to identify with their group exhibited greater in-group
bias (M ⫽ 13.09) than did individuals who were not induced to
identify (M ⫽ 2.74). Qualifying this main effect was a significant interaction, F(1, 83) ⫽ 3.93, p ⫽ .05, 2 ⫽ .04. The
means are presented in Fig. 1.
Simple effects tests indicate that, when selecting for
majority members, the induction significantly influenced
in-group bias, F(1, 83) ⫽ 10.51, p ⬍ .01, 2 ⫽ .11;
however, when selecting for minority members, the induction did not significantly influence in-group bias, F(1,
83) ⫽ .25, p ⫽ .62, 2 ⫽ .00. Majority group members
exhibited more in-group favoritism in the high induction
condition than with low induction. Furthermore, the difference between minority and majority group members was
marginally significant under low induction, F(1, 83) ⫽
2.99, p ⫽ .09, 2 ⫽ .04, but the difference was eliminated
under high induction, F(1, 83) ⫽ 1.15, p ⫽ .29, 2 ⫽
.01. The majority members who were induced to identify
with their group exhibited were not significantly different
from minority members from either induction condition;
only the low induction majority member condition deviated
from the other three conditions. Single sample t tests indicated that only the responses of the low induction majority
DISCRIMINATION
FIG. 1.
473
Allocation difference scores as a function of in-group size and identity induction: Experiment 1.
members did not differ from zero, t(19) ⫽ ⫺.67, p ⫽ .51,
d ⫽ ⫺.31; all other cells were different from zero, ts ⬎
1.96, ps ⬍ .07, ds ⬎ .84. Only individuals in the low
induction majority group exhibited no in-group bias.
In this study, then, minority group members discriminated in favor of the in-group regardless of the identification
induction, but majority group members exhibited in-group
bias only when identification with the in-group had been
induced. This analysis certainly points to the role of identification in majority discrimination; in fact, identification
was positively correlated with discrimination exhibited by
majority members, r(42) ⫽ .46, p ⬍ .01, across conditions. Conversely, identification was uncorrelated with discrimination exhibited by minority members, r(46) ⫽
⫺.19, p ⫽ .22. This is probably because identification
scores for minority group members had a more restricted
range, being relatively high in both induction conditions.
Apparently once a requisite level of identification is
reached, further variation in level of identification does not
account for additional variation in in-group bias.
DISCUSSION
The findings from Experiment 2 bore out the predictions
from optimal distinctiveness theory that in-group identification and discrimination are spontaneously aroused by
categorization into a minority group but need to be induced
for majority groups. These findings support the idea that
identification is at least a necessary condition for discrimination; individuals must see themselves as connected to
their group before they are motivated to exhibit in-group
bias. The pattern of differences in identification and discrimination also support the idea that differences in identification underlie differences in discrimination between
members of minority and majority groups. When level of
identification is increased (though induction), comparable
degrees of in-group bias are exhibited by both majority and
minority group members.
While not the primary goal of this study, the results speak
to an ongoing debate of the causes of discrimination in the
minimal group paradigm (Tajfel & Turner, 1986; Gaertner
& Insko, 2000; Gagnon & Bourhis, 1996). Recently, Gaertner and Insko (2000) claim that discrimination exhibited in
the minimal group paradigm can be explained entirely by
outcome dependence. However, this explanation cannot account for the effects of the above study. The identity induction involved manipulating the perception that the participant was similar to the in-group, not the extent to which
allocations awarded to in-group members would be allocated to the participant. Consequently, the above study
illustrates that engaging social identification can engage
discrimination under minimal group conditions.
Identification: Necessary, But Sufficient?
While differences in identification underlie differences in
discrimination, it is apparent that identification alone does
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LEONARDELLI AND BREWER
not fully account for degree of discrimination. The induction increased minority identification, but discrimination did
not increase in a corresponding fashion. This supports our
contention that identification with the in-group is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the expression of ingroup bias. In order to account more fully for the level of
bias exhibited under different conditions, one must consider
the motivational basis of bias for minority and majority
group members.
The results of the first study support the idea that minority
group membership is closer to an optimally distinct identity
than majority group membership in that it is associated with
greater identification with the in-group. Central to the optimal distinctiveness explanation for differences in minority
and majority group behavior is the motivational state that is
presumed to underlie in-group bias and discrimination. Because minority identity meets both inclusion and differentiation needs, categorization into a minority group should
lead to high levels of identification and satisfaction with the
group identity. Under these conditions, discrimination in
favor of the in-group is one manifestation or affirmation of
in-group identification.
Membership in a majority group, on the other hand, is not
satisfying because it leaves the differentiation need unmet.
One response to this is disengagement, avoiding identification with the category as self-relevant. When self-relevance
is high, however, identification can be engaged, even for
large social categories. Under these circumstances, group
members should be motivated to increase the perceived
distinctiveness of their category identity to improve satisfaction of the differentiation motive. One method of enhancing in-group distinctiveness is discrimination against outgroups (Branscombe & Wann, 1994; Turner, 1975). Thus,
for members of majority groups, the degree of discrimination and in-group bias may be a reflection of their level of
dissatisfaction with the in-group as an optimal identity; the
underlying motive is improving optimality rather than affirming identity.
This analysis suggests that identification with a group and
satisfaction with that group are not synonymous as sources
of social identity (Ellemers, Kortekaas, & Ouwerkerk,
1999; Perrault & Bourhis, 1998). Identification and satisfaction may work in combination to determine whether
group members exhibit in-group bias and why. When both
identification and satisfaction are high (optimal identities),
discrimination functions to affirm in-group identity. When
identification and satisfaction are both low, there is no
motive to discriminate. But when identification is high and
satisfaction is low, discrimination functions to increase differentiation between in-group and out-group.
For both minority and majority groups, then, discrimination is believed to be dependent on satisfaction and identification. Members in both groups must identify with the
in-group to discriminate in favor of that group. Once a
requisite level of identification is engaged, however, the
degree of discrimination and its underlying motivation are
determined by levels of satisfaction with the in-group. But
the relationship between satisfaction and discrimination differs for majority and minority groups. Minority group members will be more likely to discriminate as group satisfaction
increases; majority members, however, should show a negative relationship between satisfaction and discrimination
since discrimination is presumed to be motivated by dissatisfaction with in-group distinctiveness.
In order to test these predictions about the motives underlying discrimination for optimal (minority) and nonoptimal (majority) groups, a second experiment was conducted in which separate measures of identification and
in-group satisfaction were included.
EXPERIMENT 2
The primary purpose of the experiment was to examine
the role of in-group satisfaction as a predictor of in-group
bias. First, it was expected that minority members should
report being more satisfied with their group than majority
members, suggesting that minority identities are optimally
distinct, but majority identities are nonoptimal. What’s
more, in-group size and in-group satisfaction were believed
to interact when controlling for differences in identification.
Because minority identities are more satisfying than majority identities, individuals in this group should be more likely
to discriminate as satisfaction with the in-group increases.
Majority groups, however, because they are less satisfying
than minority identities, should lead individuals to discriminate more as satisfaction decreases. To test these hypotheses, participants were classified as minority or majority
group members, and all were induced to identify with their
group. 2 A measure of group satisfaction was added to the
experiment, following categorization but before the allocation matrices.
This in-group satisfaction measure provided not only a
test of the predictions made by optimal distinctiveness theory, but also provided a test of an alternative hypothesis,
namely the role of collective self-esteem in intergroup discrimination. Recently, researchers (Long & Spears, 1997;
Rubin & Hewstone, 1998) have argued that low collective
self-esteem motivates discrimination, which serves to enhance or restore collective self-worth. Assuming that minority identity is an insecure identity (Sachdev & Bourhis,
2
As a reviewer correctly pointed out, this study does not provide a full
test of the predicted three-way interaction between in-group size, satisfaction, and identification. Experiment 1 already demonstrated that majorities
do not discriminate under low identification conditions, and the primary
purpose of this second study was to examine the underlying motivation of
minority and majority discrimination when it does occur. Thus, for purposes of testing the role of satisfaction with the in-group, it was most
appropriate to induce all group members to identify with their group.
475
DISCRIMINATION
1984, 1991), it is possible that minority discrimination
increases as collective self-esteem (as measured by the
in-group satisfaction measure) decreases. Thus, two competing predictions were tested in the second study: Optimal
distinctiveness theory predicts that minority discrimination
increases as in-group satisfaction increases, but the collective self-esteem hypothesis (Rubin & Hewstone, 1998) predicts that minority discrimination increases as in-group satisfaction decreases. These predictions were put to the test in
the second experiment.
METHOD
Participants
Seventy-nine students (65% women, 82% European
American) at the Ohio State University participated in the
study. Participants all received course credit for their involvement. One person completed the materials incorrectly
and was dropped, resulting in N ⫽ 78.
Procedure
Participants were classified into either minority or majority category, and all were induced to identify with their
group using the high induction manipulation from Experiment 1. The three primary dependent measures were, in
order, a social identification scale, a group satisfaction measure, and four zero-sum matrices. Responses to the Lifestyles Questionnaire were also submitted to analysis to
verify that individuals were induced to identify to an equal
extent.
The identification measure was revised by adding four
new items to the six used in the previous experiment: “This
group’s characteristics mirror my characteristics,” “I feel
that I am a part of this group,” “I feel ties to people in this
group,” and “I do not belong to this group” (reverse-scored).
After recoding reversed scored items, the 10 responses were
summed producing a possible score which could range from
10 to 60, with higher numbers indicating greater identification. Internal consistency was improved by the inclusion of
these additional items in the scale (␣ ⫽ .79).
For the in-group satisfaction scale, participants rated their
level of agreement with the following items with reference
to their in-group: “I am pleased to be a member of this
group,” “This group is not satisfying to me” (reversescored), “I am unhappy with this group” (reverse-scored),
and “I am satisfied with this group.” Participants responded
to these items using 6-point response options (1 ⫽ Strongly
Disagree, 6 ⫽ Strongly Agree). After reversed-scored items
were recoded, responses were summed; total scores could
range from 4 to 24, with higher numbers indicating greater
in-group satisfaction. Internal consistency was adequate
(␣ ⫽ .74).
TABLE 2
Condition Means and Standard Deviations: Experiment 2
Lifestyles responses
Identification
Satisfaction
Difference score
n
Minority in-group
Majority in-group
5.83 (1.67)
38.68 (7.53)
17.76 (2.96)
14.15 (24.09)
41
5.95 (1.15)
36.11 (7.50)
16.38 (2.66)
11.73 (24.77)
37
Note. Standard deviations are in parentheses.
Measures that appear closely associated with in-group
satisfaction include the private esteem subscale of the collective self-esteem scale (Luhtanen & Crocker, 1992) and
the quality of social identity scale (Gagnon & Bourhis,
1996). In a separate study, an exploratory factor analysis
confirmed our assumption that our satisfaction measure is
equivalent to this aspect of collective self-esteem. The ingroup satisfaction items loaded only onto the same factor as
the items that compose the private esteem subscale, even
when they were entered into the factor analysis that included items of the other three subscales (i.e., identity,
public esteem, and member esteem) of the collective selfesteem scale (Leonardelli & Tormala, 2000). 3
RESULTS
Lifestyles Responses
Responses on the lifestyles questionnaire were submitted
to ANOVA; as intended, in-group size did not produce a
significant difference, F(1, 76) ⫽ .13, p ⫽ .72, 2 ⫽ .00.
Minority and majority members were induced to respond
with a high number of “true” responses to the same extent
under the high induction manipulation used in this experiment (see Table 2).
In-Group Size on Identification, In-group Satisfaction,
and Discrimination
The primary purpose of this second experiment was to
assess the interrelationships among in-group size, identification, and satisfaction as predictors of social discrimination. Prior to the correlational analyses, however, we examined the effects of in-group size on the process and in-group
bias measures to determine if effects obtained in the high
induction condition in Experiment 1 were essentially replicated. Identification and difference scores, as well as satis3
One would expect measures of social identification and in-group satisfaction to be positively correlated; presumably, the more individuals
identify with a group, the more they should like it. As expected, in the
present study the two scales were significantly correlated, r(78) ⫽ .62,
p ⬍ .001.
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LEONARDELLI AND BREWER
FIG. 2.
Allocation difference scores as a function of in-group size and group satisfaction: Experiment 2.
faction scores, were submitted to ANOVA, with in-group
size as the between-participants comparison. Condition
means for each of these measures are provided in Table 2.
In general, the effects of in-group size on identification
were similar to the effects obtained in Experiment 1 for the
individuals induced to identify with their group. Minorities
reported higher identification than majorities, although this
difference was not significant, F(1, 76) ⫽ 2.28, p ⫽ .14,
2 ⫽ .03. More important, minorities reported greater
satisfaction with their group than majorities, and this difference was significant, F(1, 76) ⫽ 4.64, p ⫽ .03, 2 ⫽
.06. Finally, the difference score on the allocation measure
showed no significant effect of group size, F(1, 76) ⫽ .19,
p ⫽ .66, 2 ⫽ .00. As found in Experiment 1, minority
and majority members who were induced to identify with
their group reported equivalent levels of in-group bias. For
both groups, this bias was significantly different from zero,
ts ⬎ 2.87, ps ⬍ .01, ds ⬎ .96.
In-Group Size and In-Group Satisfaction as Predictors
of Discrimination
Central to our hypotheses about the processes underlying
minority and majority group discrimination is the differential role of in-group satisfaction as a motivator for intergroup bias. To test the differential predictions, a hierarchical
multiple-regression analysis was conducted in which ingroup bias was predicted from in-group size, identification,
in-group satisfaction, and the two-way interactions.
So that it could be included in the regression analysis, the
conditions of in-group size were dummy coded: the minority condition was assigned a value of zero, and the majority
condition was assigned a value of 1. 4 Following standard
4
Dummy coding was opted over effects coding because it provides more
readily interpretable effects when the regression analysis includes only one
categorical variable (Aiken & West, 1991).
rules for interaction analysis in multiple regression (Cohen
& Cohen, 1983), in-group bias was regressed onto the main
effect variables of in-group size, social identification, and
group satisfaction predictors in the first step of a hierarchical regression. In the second step of the hierarchical regression, two-way interaction terms were entered into the analysis as predictors of in-group bias. These interaction terms
were the product of each pair of variables: in-group size and
identification, in-group size and satisfaction, and identification and satisfaction. These two-way interactions were included as higher order covariates, as recommended by Hull,
Tedlie, and Lehn (1992).
Analysis revealed a significant two-way interaction between in-group size and group satisfaction, t(71) ⫽ ⫺2.17,
p ⫽ .03, sr 2 ⫽ .06. To depict this interaction, predicted
means were plotted at low and high levels of satisfaction
(i.e., at satisfaction values 1 standard deviation below and
above the mean, respectively; Aiken & West, 1991). The
means are presented in Fig. 2. Simple slope analysis (Aiken
& West, 1991) indicated that minority members were more
likely to discriminate as in-group satisfaction increased
( ⫽ .37, p ⫽ .08, sr 2 ⫽ .04). By contrast, majority
members were more likely to discriminate as in-group satisfaction decreased ( ⫽ ⫺.33, p ⫽ .16, sr 2 ⫽ .03). 5 The
5
Given that this study was conducted with identification induction held
constant, the relatively restricted range of variability on the identification
measure did not permit analysis of the three-way interaction between
in-group size, identification, and satisfaction (in fact, analysis of the threeway was not significant). Nonetheless, the analysis did reveal a significant
interaction between identification and satisfaction, t(71) ⫽ ⫺2.18, p ⫽
.03, sr 2 ⫽ .06, indicating that the influence of satisfaction on in-group
bias was moderated by identification to some extent. Tests for this interaction within the two conditions revealed that the interaction was statistically reliable for majority members, t(33) ⫽ ⫺2.03, p ⫽ .05, sr 2 ⫽ .10,
but not reliable for minority members, t(37) ⫽ ⫺1.02, p ⫽ .37, sr 2 ⫽
.03. It appears that the dissatisfaction expressed by majority members
influences discrimination, contingent upon their level of identification with
477
DISCRIMINATION
significant interaction indicates that the satisfaction slope
for minority group members is significantly different from
the slope for majority members.
DISCUSSION
Results of the regression analysis in Experiment 2 indicated that, controlling for identification, in-group satisfaction predicts discrimination for both minority and majority
group members, but the direction of the relationship between in-group satisfaction and discrimination differs depending on the size of the in-group. Minority discrimination
increases as in-group satisfaction increases; majority discrimination increases as in-group satisfaction decreases (or
dissatisfaction increases). These data are inconsistent with
the collective self-esteem version of the self-esteem hypothesis (Long & Spears, 1997; Rubin & Hewstone, 1998) as an
explanation for minority group discrimination, but are consistent with our theoretical analysis. 6 Since large, relatively
undefined groups are presumed to be nonoptimal identities,
dissatisfaction with assignment to a majority group should
be associated with discrimination. Intergroup discrimination
provides an opportunity to increase the differentiation between in-group and out-group and increase perceived distinctiveness. Small, optimally distinct groups, however, are
presumed to be satisfied with their identity, and satisfaction
with assignment should be associated with discrimination
because intergroup discrimination provides an opportunity
to affirm a positive identity. 7
their group. Simple slope analysis indicates support for this prediction.
When identification was low, majority member satisfaction did not predict
in-group bias ( ⫽ ⫺.01, p ⫽ .96, sr 2 ⫽ .00). When identification was
high, however, majority member satisfaction negatively predicted discrimination ( ⫽ ⫺.53, p ⫽ .05, sr 2 ⫽ .12). Thus, when the majority
members are disengaged from their identity, dissatisfaction is unrelated to
discrimination. However, if identification with the group is engaged, then
members of majority groups appear motivated to increase the distinctiveness
of their in-group to the extent that they are dissatisfied with the group as is.
6
To be clear, we believe this study tested the specific-state-social
version of the self-esteem hypothesis proposed by Rubin and Hewstone
(1998). The scale was framed to refer to the specific estimator group into
which participants were classified, thus meeting the specific and social
criteria of the collective self-esteem hypothesis. In addition, because participants were placed into minimal groups, there is no possible “trait”
self-esteem to be associated with this specific group. Consequently, this
scale must measure state collective self-esteem.
7
One might ask why it was that we believed that majority members who
were satisfied and identified with their group would not affirm their
identity. We base this on the initial mean difference that exists between
majority and minority groups on group satisfaction. As indicated in Table
2, minorities are more satisfied with their group than are majority members.
This difference in mean satisfaction indicates that majority members who
report relatively high in-group satisfaction actually are reporting lower
satisfaction than minorities who report relatively high satisfaction.
Discrimination Motives
The different directions of relationship between relative satisfaction with the in-group and level of discrimination for majority and minority groups is consistent with
the idea that the same degree of discrimination reflects
different underlying motives as a function of group size.
Again, however, this experiment does not provide direct
evidence that motives to affirm or differentiate are actually operating. In the two experiments reported thus far,
zero-sum allocation matrices were used as a global measure of in-group bias that basically pits in-group favoritism against a nondiscrimination (fairness) motive. Zerosum matrices of this type provide a general measure of
bias but are not constructed to distinguish between two
kinds of discrimination motives: maximum in-group
profit and maximum differentiation.
Maximum in-group profit (Tajfel et al., 1971) refers to
the motivation to treat in-group members as favorably as
possible, regardless of outcomes to the out-group. Maximum differentiation refers to the motivation to treat ingroup members more favorably than out-group members,
that is, to make choices that give in-group members higher
outcomes compared to those of the out-group. Both motives
are discrimination motives in that they exhibit favoritism for
the in-group, but they differ in their focus: Maximum differentiation focuses on the difference between in-group and
out-group members, whereas maximum in-group profit focuses only on the in-group. When allocations are zero-sum,
in-group bias scores can reflect either motive because the
choices are arrayed such that increasing the amount the
in-group also decreases the outcome to the out-group (hence
increasing difference). Thus, the same in-group/out-group
difference score can be based on different underlying motives.
The different pattern of correlation between in-group
satisfaction and allocation bias obtained for minorities and
majorities in Experiment 2 suggests that discrimination may
have been serving different purposes for the two groups.
Based on optimal distinctiveness theory, we hypothesize
that the discriminatory choices made by majority members
were motivated primarily by maximum differentiation, in
the service of increasing the distinctiveness of their ingroup. Since minority group membership is already closer
to optimal distinctiveness, we assume that discrimination by
minorities is primarily an expression of in-group identification, motivated by concern for affirming their in-group
identity. In this case, discrimination is more likely to reflect
a desire to maximize in-group profit. To test these assumptions about underlying motives, a third experiment was
conducted using allocation matrices that can differentiate
between motives for maximizing in-group profit or maximizing differentiation in favor of the in-group.
478
LEONARDELLI AND BREWER
EXPERIMENT 3
The primary goal of the third experiment was to examine
the discrimination motives of minority and majority members. A secondary goal was an attempt to replicate effects on
group identification and group satisfaction found in Experiments 1 and 2.
We predicted that when allocations maximizing in-group
profit and maximizing differentiation were pitted against
each other in an allocation matrix, members of majority
social categories would consistently choose in the direction
of maximizing differentiation, regardless of level of ingroup profit. Members of minority social categories, on the
other hand, were predicted to be more influenced by maximizing in-group profit, although this motivation would be
constrained somewhat by the structure of the allocation
matrix. 8 In pure form, the motive to maximize in-group
profit means that group members are willing to give the
highest allocation possible to their group, even if that means
giving more to the out-group. At this extreme, however,
maximum in-group profit could also be perceived as outgroup favoritism. Thus, we expected that minority members
would exhibit maximum in-group profit, but only to the
extent that they could give higher amounts to the in-group
without giving even larger amounts to the out-group. In
effect, minority members were predicted to exhibit evidence
of both maximum in-group profit and maximum differentiation.
METHOD
Participants
One hundred two students (58% women, 63% European
American) at the Ohio State University participated in the
study. Five individuals were dropped for incorrectly completing the materials, leaving an N ⫽ 97. Participants
received course credit for their involvement.
Procedure
Individuals were randomly classified into a minority or
majority group within each session. An additional control
factor was also added to the design of the present study.
In-group size was crossed with category label (underestimator vs overestimator) in order to be sure that effects of
relative in-group size could be replicated independent of
confounds with category label. Thus, Experiment 3 con8
The layout of the Tajfel allocation matrix choices makes comparative
information about in-group and out-group outcomes almost impossible to
ignore. Choices on these matrices have been found to exhibit a significant
“pull” toward maximizing differentiation even when the incentive for
maximizing in-group profit has been explicitly manipulated (Brewer &
Silver, 1978; Turner, Brown, & Tajfel, 1979).
sisted of a 2 (Ingroup Size: Minority vs Majority) ⫻ 2
(Category Label: Underestimator vs Overestimator) between-participants design.
As in the preceding experiments, participants first completed a dot estimation task used to classify them into
minimal groups and, following this task, received feedback
about their category membership and the size of their ingroup. Participants then completed the high induction version of the Lifestyles Questionnaire, used to induce individuals to identify with their respective groups. Individuals
then completed identification and satisfaction scales used in
Experiment 2 (␣ identification ⫽ .85; ␣ satisfaction ⫽ .79). Finally,
they completed four Tajfel allocation matrices, selected to
determine the kinds of discrimination motive exhibited by
participants in the different group size conditions. 9
After completing the matrices, participants completed a
manipulation check on the category to which they had been
assigned (i.e., overestimator or underestimator) and the relative size of that group, and they were then debriefed.
Tajfel Allocation Matrices
Instead of the zero-sum matrices used in previous studies,
different types of Tajfel allocation matrices were used to
assess the strength of different discrimination motives (Tajfel et al., 1971). The Tajfel allocation matrices contain a set
of preselected allocations that vary in terms of degree of
in-group or out-group favoritism, fairness, or cooperation.
For our present purposes, two kinds of Tajfel matrices were
chosen. Matrices type A and B (Brewer, 1979; as reported
in Tajfel et al., 1971, Experiment 2) were used, which
provide the opportunity to distinguish between maximum
in-group profit and maximum differentiation and to distinguish these two motives from a third motive, maximum
joint profit. (Maximum joint profit refers to the motivation
to treat both the in-group and out-group as favorably as
possible, nondiscriminantly. This motive indicates intergroup cooperation, where the individual is attempting to
maximize outcomes for both groups combined.)
The Matrix A version (see Fig. 3) pits the maximum joint
profit motive against in-group bias (this matrix cannot distinguish between maximum differentiation and maximum
in-group profit). Participants must choose between allocations that give more to the in-group and allocations that give
a larger overall amount (in-group allocation ⫹ out-group
9
Tajfel matrices were used in the present experiment rather than multiple alternative matrices (Bornstein et al., 1983) because we believed that
the different discrimination motives are not mutually exclusive. Our interest was in the difference in degree to which members of majority and
minority groups exhibited maximizing differentiation and maximizing
in-group profit. Based on how pull scores are calculated for the Tajfel
matrices, it is possible to exhibit both motives to a moderate degree (i.e.,
on both pull scores) or one motive to an extreme degree. The pull scores
only oppose each other at the extremes.
479
DISCRIMINATION
FIG. 3. Allocation matrix Types A and B (taken from Tajfel et al., 1971, Experiment 2). The ovals represent hypothetical responses and illustrate how
individuals respond to these matrices (by circling one column of numbers).
allocation). Pull scores are calculated to determine to what
extent each motive is present. Explanations for how to
calculate these pull scores, and a discussion of their meaning, are provided in the literature (Bourhis, Sachdev, &
Gagnon, 1994; Turner, 1983). This kind of matrix produces
two pull scores: one that indicates maximum joint profit
(MJP) and the other that indicates in-group bias (MIP/MD).
The Matrix B version (see Fig. 3) pits maximum differentiation against the other two motives, maximum joint
profit and maximum in-group profit. Participants must
choose between allocations that provide a relatively greater
amount to the in-group (i.e., maximum differentiation) and
allocations that give both a greater combined amount (ingroup ⫹ out-group) and the largest possible in-group allocation. This kind of matrix produces two pull scores: one
that indicates maximum differentiation (MD) and another
indicates maximum in-group profit and/or maximum joint
profit (MIP/MJP). This second pull score is confounded in
that it cannot distinguish between these two motives.
Minority and majority members were expected to exhibit
different discrimination motives on matrix B: Majority
members were expected to exhibit significant MD pull, but
not the MIP/MJP pull score; minority members, however,
were expected to exhibit both MD and MIP/MJP. Responses on matrix A, however, were expected to be similar:
Members of both groups were predicted to exhibit ingroup
bias, but not maximum joint profit. Pull scores from both
matrices must be considered together to determine what
exactly is the basis for minority discrimination. If, as predicted, minorities exhibited the MIP/MJP pull (on Matrix
B), but not the MJP pull (on Matrix A), then the former pull
score can be interpreted as intention to maximize in-group
profit.
RESULTS
Manipulation Checks
All but one individual correctly reported their estimator
category (i.e., underestimator, overestimator), and all but
two individuals correctly reported the size of their group.
These three individuals were dropped, leaving N ⫽ 94. To
verify that all group members were induced to identify to an
equal degree, lifestyles responses were submitted to
ANOVA, with in-group size and category label as betweenparticipant factors. As expected, in-group size did not produce a significant difference on Lifestyles responses, F(1,
89) ⫽ 1.63, p ⫽ .20, 2 ⫽ .02. Participants in all
conditions responded to the induction to an equal degree
(see Table 3).
In-Group Identification and In-Group Satisfaction
It was expected that minority members would be more
satisfied than majority members with their group membership. This measure was submitted to an ANOVA. As in
TABLE 3
Condition Means and Standard Deviations on Lifestyles Responses, In-Group Identification, and In-Group Satisfaction: Experiment 3
Lifestyles responses
Identification
Satisfaction
n
Minority in-group
Majority in-group
5.74 (1.63)
35.48 (8.36)
17.04 (3.46)
50
5.39 (1.78)
32.48 (6.98)
15.77 (3.01)
44
Note. Standard deviations are in parentheses.
480
LEONARDELLI AND BREWER
FIG. 4.
Means of the maximum differentiation and MIP/MJP pull scores, by in-group size: Experiment 3.
Experiment 2, minorities reported higher in-group satisfaction than majorities, and this difference was significant,
F(1, 89) ⫽ 5.09, p ⫽ .03, 2 ⫽ .05. (Means are reported
in Table 3.) Furthermore, it was expected that minority
members would be somewhat more identified than majority
members, even after the identity induction. Analysis uncovered a significant main effect of in-group size, F(1, 90) ⫽
4.38, p ⫽ .05, 2 ⫽ .05. Minority group members
reported higher identification (M ⫽ 17.04) with the ingroup than did majority members (M ⫽ 15.44), replicating
the differences found in Experiments 1 and 2. Overall, then,
analysis revealed that minority members were more satisfied and identified with their group than were majority
members, confirming results from the previous studies. 10
Discrimination Motives
The primary goal of this study was to elucidate differences between minority and majority group members in
terms of the discrimination motive underlying allocation
biases. Minority and majority members were expected to
exhibit different motives on matrix B such that majority
members would exhibit maximum differentiation and mi10
Analysis of identification and satisfaction scores also revealed significant main effects of category label on in-group satisfaction, F(1, 90) ⫽
4.16, p ⫽ .04, 2 ⫽ .04. Individuals placed into the overestimator
category reported greater satisfaction with their group (M ⫽ 17.04) than
those in the underestimator category (M ⫽ 15.85) and a marginally
significantly higher level of in-group identification, F(1, 90) ⫽ 2.93, p ⫽
.09, 2 ⫽ .03. However, estimator category label did not interact significantly with in-group size, so all effects reported for the in-group size
variable are independent of label.
nority members would exhibit maximum differentiation and
MIP/MJP. On matrix A, minority and majority members
were both expected to exhibit in-group bias (with no pull
toward maximum joint profit).
Of primary interest were the matrix B pull scores. Based
on the procedure used to calculate them, pull scores (MD
and MIP/MJP) could range from ⫺12 to 12. On the MD
pull, positive numbers indicate relative in-group favoritism,
and negative numbers indicate relative out-group favoritism
(Turner, 1983). On the MIP/MJP pull, positive numbers
indicate greater “maximum ingroup profit/maximum joint
profit,” and negative numbers indicate “minimizing ingroup
profit/minimizing joint profit” (Turner, 1983). These two
pull scores were submitted to repeated-measures ANOVA,
with in-group size and category label as between-participants factors and the pull scores as a two-level withinparticipants factor. Analysis revealed a main effect on the
repeated measures, F(1, 90) ⫽ 7.30, p ⬍ .01, 2 ⫽ .08.
Individuals were much more likely to exhibit maximum
differentiation (M ⫽ 1.89) than the MIP/MJP pull (M ⫽
.09). In addition, however, there was an interaction between
in-group size and the repeated-measures factor, F(1, 90) ⫽
4.44, p ⫽ .04, 2 ⫽ .05. Means are presented in Fig. 4.
Minority and majority members exhibited no difference
on the maximum differentiation pull score, F(1, 90) ⫽ .19,
p ⫽ .67, 2 ⫽ .00. Both means were significantly different
from zero, ts ⬎ 2.62, ps ⬍ .05, ds ⬎ .75. As the means
indicate, both minority and majority members were more
likely to exhibit maximum differentiation than parity. On
the MIP/MJP pull, however, minorities significantly differed from majorities, F(1, 90) ⫽ 7.15, p ⬍ .01, 2 ⫽
481
DISCRIMINATION
.07, as expected. Minority members were more likely to
exhibit this pull than majority members. In addition, singlesample t tests indicated that minority member pull was
significantly different from zero, t(49) ⫽ 2.20, p ⫽ .03,
d ⫽ .62, while majority member pull was not significant,
t(43) ⫽ ⫺1.68, p ⫽ .10, d ⫽ ⫺.51. Thus, the interaction
between pull score and in-group size indicated that minority
and majority allocation choices reflect somewhat different
underlying motives. Both groups exhibit a significant degree of maximum differentiation, but for minorities this was
qualified by at pull toward MIP/MJP.
To determine whether the latter pull indicated maximum
joint profit or maximum in-group profit motives, the pull
scores from matrix A were submitted to analysis. Pull scores
for these matrices also could range from ⫺12 to 12. On the
in-group bias (MD/MIP) pull, positive numbers indicate
in-group favoritism and negative numbers indicate outgroup favoritism (Turner, 1983). On the MJP pull, positive
numbers indicate maximizing joint profit and negative numbers indicate minimizing joint profit (Turner, 1983). On this
pull score, it was expected that neither group would exhibit
a tendency toward positive MJP.
Results of a two-way ANOVA, with in-group size and
category label as between-participants factors, revealed a
significant in-group size main effect, F(1, 90) ⫽ 7.75, p ⬍
.01, 2 ⫽ .08, on the MJP pull scores. Majority members
exhibited a tendency to minimize joint profit (M ⫽ ⫺1.52,
SD ⫽ 4.19) compared to minority members (M ⫽ .56,
SD ⫽ 2.69). Only the mean for the majority member
sample was significantly different from zero, t(43) ⫽
⫺2.41, p ⫽ .02, d ⫽ ⫺.74. Analysis of the in-group bias
pull score revealed no significant main effect of in-group
size. Instead, both minority members (M ⫽ 1.68, SD ⫽
3.97) and majority members (M ⫽ 1.66, SD ⫽ 4.25)
exhibited in-group bias significantly different from zero,
ts ⬎ 2.50, ps ⬍ .05, ds ⬎ .79. As expected, both groups
favored their group over the out-group when the matrices
did not distinguish MIP from MD.
DISCUSSION
Overall, consideration of the four pull scores indicates
that majority members exhibited maximum differentiation
and minority members exhibited a combination of maximum differentiation and maximum in-group profit. What
these motives indicate can be interpreted within the framework of optimal distinctiveness theory. Pure maximum differentiation means that an individual is primarily concerned
with treating an in-group member more favorably than an
out-group member, even if that means the in-group member
gets a smaller absolute allocation. Pure maximum in-group
profit means that an individual is primarily concerned with
giving an in-group member the largest allocation possible,
even if that means the out-group member will receive more.
In these pure forms, the maximum differentiation and maximum in-group profit motives are in opposition. The presence of both motives for minority members suggests that
they would like to contribute the most they can to their
group, but only if the out-group does not receive more. The
presence of only maximum differentiation for majority
members suggests that they are willing to sacrifice absolute
gain in order to increase the difference between their group
and another group.
The findings of this experiment converge with what previous research has uncovered with regard to minority and
majority responses on the Tajfel allocation matrices (Sachdev & Bourhis, 1984, 1991). The greater “pull” toward
relative difference on the part of majority members is
clearly inconsistent with the proposition that minorities are
more motivated than majorities to compensate for in-group
insecurity. Instead, these findings suggest that when majorities are motivated to discriminate, discrimination is in the
service of improving positive differentiation or distinctiveness of the in-group. The fact that majority and minority
group members also differ in their level of satisfaction with
the in-group provides further support for the optimal distinctiveness interpretation.
GENERAL DISCUSSION
Altogether, the evidence from the three studies supports
derivations from optimal distinctiveness theory as an explanation of why minorities generally discriminate more than
majorities. In addition, this research clarified the roles of
group satisfaction and identification as predictors of minority and majority discrimination. Instead of feeling threatened, individuals react positively to classification in a minority (as compared to a majority) categorization
(Experiments 2 and 3). Group identification was shown to
be a relevant antecedent to minority and majority discrimination, but not sufficient as an explanation for the degree of
in-group bias (Experiment 1). More central to the bias
exhibited by minority and majority members, was group
satisfaction, which positively predicted minority in-group
bias and negatively predicted majority in-group bias (Experiment 2). Furthermore, this differential satisfaction corresponded to differences in discrimination motives for minority and majority members (Experiment 3).
Challenging the Primacy of Enhancement Motives
Optimal distinctiveness theory offers an explanation for
minority in-group identification that does not rely solely on
self-enhancement motives. Because of their relative distinctiveness, minority groups satisfy needs for both inclusion and
differentiation—identity needs that are presumed by the theory
to be independent of the need for self-enhancement. While
some researchers argue that enhancement represents the dom-
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LEONARDELLI AND BREWER
inant self-motive (Sedikides, 1993; Sedikides & Strube, 1997),
we argue that individuals seek distinctive group identities as
much as positive group identities. All other things being equal,
individuals will prefer group memberships that are both positive and distinctive, but when the two motives are in competition, it is not at all clear that the enhancement motive dominates. Indeed, there is considerable evidence that group
identification is stronger among members of distinctive stigmatized social groups than among members of larger, higher
status groups (Crocker, Luhtanen, Blaine, & Broadnax, 1994;
Simon, Glassner-Bayerl, & Stratenwerth, 1991; Simon, Hastedt, & Aufderheide, 1997).
In one test of the relative impact of enhancement and
distinctiveness motives, Brewer et al. (1993) placed participants into groups that differed in size and status and, in
addition, manipulated activation of the need for differentiation. In-group identification was assessed by evaluative
ratings of the in-group on dimensions unrelated to the status
differential. The results of the experiment produced a threeway interaction between in-group size, status, and the differentiation manipulation on in-group valuation. Under conditions when no need for differentiation was aroused, ingroup enhancement was predicted by both size and status,
with participants classified in a low-status minority category
showing the greatest evidence of enhancement-motivated
in-group positivity. When participants’ need for differentiation was aroused, however, in-group valuation was entirely
predicted by group size: Minority members exhibited ingroup favoritism while majority members did not, regardless of the status of the group. The results of the present
experiments complement the findings of Brewer et al. by
indicating that minority group size per se engages in-group
identification independent of any need for self-enhancement. This identification precedes, rather than follows, differences in discrimination.
ALTERNATIVE MOTIVATIONAL MODELS
This article argues that optimal distinctiveness theory
best explains when and why minority and majority group
members discriminate. This research also speaks more generally to the “self-esteem hypothesis” of intergroup discrimination, a hypothesis with an uncertain history. The selfesteem hypothesis refers to the general idea that intergroup
discrimination is motivated by desire to enhance or restore
individual self-esteem. Although it has been claimed to be
derived directly from social identity theory (a claim made
by Abrams & Hogg, 1988), among social identity theorists
the hypothesis appears to be without an advocate. Turner
(1999) explicitly rejects the self-esteem restoration hypothesis as a principle of social identity. Abrams and Hogg
(1988) themselves criticized the logic and empirical evidence for the self-esteem hypothesis and proposed an alternative motivational model of in-group bias in its place
(Hogg & Abrams, 1993). Yet, despite the theory’s lack of
representation, a recent review (Rubin & Hewstone, 1998)
demonstrated that the self-esteem hypothesis is firmly entrenched in the social psychological literature on intergroup
relations. The present studies add to the growing documentation (e.g., Aberson, Healy, & Romero, 2000; Crocker &
Luhtanen, 1990; Hogg & Turner, 1987; Seta & Seta, 1992,
1996; Sidanius et al., 1994; Smith & Tyler, 1997) that
discrimination is not entirely motivated by low or threatened self-esteem and, if anything, is a reflection of positive
collective self-esteem.
The evidence also addresses what is often considered
another social identity explanation for differences in minority and majority group discrimination (Sachdev & Bourhis,
1984, 1991; Simon, 1992; Simon & Brown, 1987). 11 This
perspective argues that minority group membership constitutes an “insecure identity” relative to the secure identity
provided by majority group membership and it is this insecurity that prompts minorities to discriminate in order to
restore a more positive collective identity. Minority group
members reported being more satisfied with their group than
majority group members. In addition, satisfaction was found
to be positively related to discrimination on the part of
members of a minority group, but negatively related for
majority group members, suggesting that this alternative
social identity account also cannot explain why minority
group members discriminate.
Given the theoretical differences, social identity theory
and optimal distinctiveness theory complement each other,
especially with regard to the basis for majority group member discrimination. A central theoretical principle of social
identity theory is that “when social identity is unsatisfactory, individuals will strive either to leave their existing
group and join some more positively distinct group and/or
to make their existing group more positively distinct” (p. 16;
emphasis added; Tajfel & Turner, 1986). Similarly, optimal
distinctiveness theory argues that, given the nondistinct
status of the majority group, members of majority groups
will first try to disengage from their group, but given that
they are highly engaged with their group, they will seek
11
Some of these researchers have argued that Tajfel himself (1981)
claims that numerical minorities are more disadvantaged (or less secure)
than numerical majorities. To be clear, Tajfel (1981) defined minority
groups according to their disadvantaged status, not group size, and even
argued that some numerical majorities (Blacks in South Africa) are considered “minorities.” Specifically, Tajfel adopted Wagley and Harris’
(1958) perspective on minorities: “The principle guiding the definition
selected by Wagley and Harris (and many other social scientists) is not to
be found in numbers but in the social position of the groups to which they
refer as minorities. This is a sensible approach to the problem” (p. 310;
original emphasis included). To clarify, while there are circumstances
under which numerical minority membership will be less valued that
numerical majority membership (see end of General Discussion), such an
hypothesis does not appear to be based on Henri Tajfel’s (1981) perspective of minority groups.
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DISCRIMINATION
positive distinctiveness. Thus, although the presumed underlying motivation (positive evaluation versus differentiation) is somewhat different, the two theories generate converging predictions under some conditions.
THE CASE FOR MULTIPLE MOTIVES
The original goal of the three studies reported here was to
examine why members of minority groups often display
more in-group bias and discrimination than members of
majority groups. The results supported the idea that affirmation of a positive social identity provides a better account
for minority group bias than the need to restore threatened
self-esteem. Further, the absence of discrimination among
members of majority groups seems to reflect low levels of
in-group identification rather than the presence of a secure
positive social identity.
Although we have emphasized that our findings implicate
motives other than self-enhancement underlying in-group
bias and intergroup discrimination, it is also clear from our
results that some level of self-involvement with the in-group
category is a necessary precondition for eliciting in-group
bias. When levels of group identification are low (as with
large majority groups in a minimal group context), no
motivations for discrimination are activated. However,
when identification is sufficiently engaged, both minority
and majority group members exhibit in-group favoritism on
a zero-sum allocation measure. There was evidence, however, that discrimination is driven by different underlying
motives for individuals identified with minority versus majority groups. Contrary to the premises of the self-esteem
restoration hypothesis, it is discrimination by majorities (not
minorities) that appears to be motivated by a need to restore
or achieve positive distinctiveness for the in-group.
This difference in motivational basis implies that the
locus of in-group bias (Brewer, 1979) may be different for
the two kinds of group members. For members of minority
groups, discrimination may reflect a desire to benefit the
in-group, without regard to outcomes for the out-group. For
majority group members, however, the goal may not be to
benefit the in-group per se but to increase the difference
between positive outcomes for the in-group compared to the
out-group. Conceivably, these two different types of ingroup bias may have very different implications for intergroup behavior and the prospects for reducing social discrimination.
MINORITIES IN THE “REAL WORLD”
As indicated at the outset of this article, we are interested
here in the effects of in-group size per se, independent of
other types of status differences that may exist between
social groups. In the laboratory it is possible to manipulate
information about relative group size without (explicitly)
conveying any evaluative implications of this size difference. In the real world, however, minority size is frequently
(though not always) associated with disadvantages in status,
resources, culture, and power within the overall societal
context. In that case, the motives for positive social identity
and for distinctiveness can be seen as pulling in opposite
directions as determinants of in-group identification and
satisfaction. Nonetheless, members of minority groups often
exhibit high levels of in-group identification and positive
collective self-esteem (e.g., Crocker et al., 1994). In this
case, intergroup discrimination may serve in-group protective functions (Branscombe, Schmitt, & Harvey, 1999) as
well as or in addition to identity affirmation. The point to be
made is that there is no simple one-to-one relationship
between in-group identification and intergroup discrimination. Once group identification has been engaged, in-group
biases may serve functions of in-group enhancement, protection, identity affirmation, or differentiation as well as
self-interest, depending on the context of intergroup relationships that exists at the time.
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