The Psychology of Prejudice: Ingroup Love and Outgroup Hate?
Abstract
Allport (1954) recognized that attachment to one's ingroups does not necessarily require hostility toward outgroups. Yet the prevailing approach to the study of ethnocentrism, ingroup bias, and prejudice presumes that ingroup love and outgroup hate are reciprocally related. Findings from both cross‐cultural research and laboratory experiments support the alternative view that ingroup identification is independent of negative attitudes toward outgroups and that much ingroup bias and intergroup discrimination is motivated by preferential treatment of ingroup members rather than direct hostility toward outgroup members. Thus to understand the roots of prejudice and discrimination requires first of all a better understanding of the functions that ingroup formation and identification serve for human beings. This article reviews research and theory on the motivations for maintenance of ingroup boundaries and the implications of ingroup boundary protection for intergroup relations, conflict, and conflict prevention.
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Ingroup favoritism is reflected by beliefs on group morality and stereotyping of outgroup members as less peaceful, trustworthy, friendly, and honest than the ingroup.
“The ingroup favoritism is reflected by the beliefs on the group morality and the stereotyping of the outgroup members in the sense that 'we' are more peaceful, trustworthy, friendly, and honest than 'they' [7, 8, 14].”
From Closed-mindedness and insulation in groupthink: their effects and the devil’s advocacy as a preventive measure (2021) · cites this paper as [8]
Contextual effects such as competition and threat alter the degree to which people punish opponents or reward team members.
“Social psychologists have suggested that contextual effects such as competition and threat alter the degree to which people punish opponents or reward team members (Brewer 1999).”
From The Origins and Consequences of Affective Polarization in the United States (2019) · cites this paper as Brewer 1999
Xenophobia and ethnocentrism can arise from separate causes leading to cases where they may be uncorrelated.
“However, xenophobia and ethnocentrism can arise from separate causes leading to cases where they may be uncorrelated (Brewer 1999; Cashdan 2001b).”
From Parasite-stress promotes in-group assortative sociality: The cases of strong family ties and heightened religiosity (2012) · cites this paper as Brewer 1999
In-group love may be correlated with out-group hate positively, negatively, or zero.
“Allport (1954) and Brewer (1999) had previously observed that in-group love may be correlated with outgroup hate: (1) positively, (2) negatively, or (3) zero.”
From Parasite-stress promotes in-group assortative sociality: The cases of strong family ties and heightened religiosity (2012) · cites this paper as Brewer (1999)
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“Indeed, results from both laboratory experiments and field studies indicate that variations in ingroup positivity and social identification do not systematically correlate with degree of bias or negativity toward outgroups (Brewer, 1979; Hinkle & Brown, 1990; Kosterman & Feshbach, 1989).”
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- Authors
- Brewer, M. B.
- Affiliations
- The Ohio State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Brewer, Marilynn B.
- ORCID
- Brewer, Marilynn B.
- Venue
- Journal of Social Issues
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1999-01
- Volume
- 55
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 429-444
- ISSN
- 0022-4537 (ISSN-L)
- 1540-4560
- OpenAlex
- W2102513659
- Cited by
- 3,494
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 257 · 2025: 194 · 2024: 185 · 2023: 214 · 2022: 180 · 2021: 213 · 2020: 270 · 2019: 220 · 2018: 215 · 2017: 190 · 2016: 159 · 2015: 153 · 2014: 165 · 2013: 134 · 2012: 117
- FWCI
- 47.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Social Issues (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social Power and Status Dynamics
- Keywords
- prejudice, ingroup identification, outgroup hostility, ethnocentrism, in-group favoritism, intergroup discrimination, preferential treatment, intergroup relations, intergroup conflict, conflict prevention, Allport
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