Ingroup/Outgroup

This entry tells a fascinating story that could not have been told until very recently because the overwhelming majority of the research on which it is based was done in the past 5 to 10 years. A review of these studies indicates that a wide variety of basic social psychological processes have a negative impact on intergroup and intercultural cognitions, affect, and behavior. The entry discusses the research that identifies the patterns of bias, influenced by a wide variety of contexts and factors, describing the research related to cognitive, affective, and behavioral causes of bias and prejudice as well as the perspectives for addressing these socially destructive perceptions.

The entry focuses almost exclusively on nonconscious biases toward outgroups. In nearly all cases, if people were asked ...