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Linguistic intergroup bias: Differential expectancies or in-group protection?
Abstract
The linguistic intergroup bias describes the tendency to communicate positive in-group and negative out-group behaviors more abstractly than negative in-group and positive out-group behaviors. This article investigated whether this bias is driven by differential expectancies or by in-group protective motives. In Experiment 1, northern and southern Italian participants (N = 151) described positive and negative behaviors of northern or southern protagonists that were either congruent or incongruent with stereotypic expectancies. Regardless of valence, expectancy-congruent behaviors were described more abstractly than incongruent ones. Experiment 2 (N = 40) showed that language is used in an equally biased fashion for individuals as previously demonstrated for groups. Experiment 3 (N = 192) induced expectancies experimentally and found greater abstraction for expectancy-congruent behaviors regardless of valence. All experiments confirmed the differential expectancy approach.
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“In contrast to previous studies conducted in controlled laboratory settings15,68,69, our results offer insights from a less experimentally controlled but more ecologically valid environment.”
From Generative language models exhibit social identity biases (2024) · cites this paper as [69]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Maass, A., Milesi, A., Zabbini, S., & Stahlberg, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Padua (IT)
- Venue
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Published
- 1995
- Volume
- 68
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 116-126
- ISSN
- 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1315
- OpenAlex
- W4247340923
- Cited by
- 175
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 39.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Padua Research Archive (University of Padova) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Categorization, perception, and language
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social Power and Status Dynamics
- Keywords
- linguistic intergroup bias, intergroup communication, abstract language
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Humans, Italy, Language, Peer Group, Pilot Projects, Schools, Self Concept, Social Desirability, Stereotyped Behavior, Students, Verbal Behavior
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