Intergroup Differentiation in Social Context: Identity Needs versus Audience Constraints

In this paper we investigate intergroup differentiation in different social contexts. Although low group status motivates group members to display biases favoring the in-group, the awareness that others perceive their group as having low-status may prevent them from openly claiming in-group superiority. The interplay between these two considerations may account for inconsistency in findings in the literature regarding displays of in-group favoritism in lower-status-groups. In two experiments we investigate whether people rate their group differently (1) in private and in public situations, (2) in intragroup and in intergroup contexts, and (3) when their strength of in-group identification differs. Results show that members of lower-status groups are more likely to acknowledge in-group inferiority in public than in private situations. Furthermore, strength of identification affects the relative importance of different audiences: High identifiers adapt their responses in an intragroup situation, while low identifiers are more sensitive to the audience in an intergroup context.