Exaggerating differences back and forth: Two levels of intergroup accentuation
Open accessAbstract
Social perceivers tend to exaggerate existing differences between groups, a phenomenon known as intergroup accentuation. In two preregistered experiments, we tested the hypothesis that accentuation originates in the initial learning of information about a novel group. In both experiments, perceivers exaggerated differences between two fictitious social groups that differed probabilistically in two dimensional traits. As hypothesized, accentuation was stronger for the group encountered second, confirming that accentuation originates partly in processes operating during the acquisition of group information. However, accentuation was also robust for the group encountered first, suggesting that it also occurs 'backward' even when group learning was unbiased. We discuss implications for stereotype formation generally and the perception of social minorities and out-groups specifically. As these groups are often encountered second in social reality, stereotypes of them might be particularly polarized.
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One of the most common perceptual biases caused by identity is the exaggeration of differences between groups, known as intergroup accentuation, explained by the need for positive distinctiveness.
“One of the most common perceptual biases caused by identity is the exaggeration of differences between groups, a phenomenon known as "intergroup accentuation," which has traditionally been explained in social psychology by the need for positive distinctiveness (Rothermund & Deutsch, 2024).”
From ¿Demasiado lejos? Cómo la polarización mal percibida alimenta la polarización afectiva en España (2025) · cites this paper as Rothermund & Deutsch, 2024
Accentuating differences is not only prompted by a desire for ingroup distinction but is also the result of memory problems that make us more prone to remembering a group's extreme prototype and leads to overgeneralizations.
“Other theories add that accentuating differences is not only prompted by a desire for ingroup distinction but is the result of memory problems that make us more prone to remembering a group's extreme prototype and leads to overgeneralizations (Rothermund & Deutsch, 2024).”
From ¿Demasiado lejos? Cómo la polarización mal percibida alimenta la polarización afectiva en España (2025) · cites this paper as Rothermund & Deutsch, 2024
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Rothermund, P., & Deutsch, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Würzburg (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Rothermund, Patrick
- Venue
- British Journal of Social Psychology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2023-11-22
- Volume
- 63
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 708-722
- ISSN
- 0144-6665 (ISSN-L)
- 2044-8309
- OpenAlex
- W4388900440
- Cited by
- 9
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 5
- FWCI
- 3.88
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- British Journal of Social Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social Power and Status Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Categorization, perception, and language
- Keywords
- stereotype formation, group learning, social perception, outgroup, minority groups, intergroup perception
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Minority Groups, Social Perception, Stereotyping
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