In-group favoritism
In-group favoritism is a cognitive bias that leads individuals to prefer and view members of their own social group more positively than those in external groups. This bias is often rooted in the natural human inclination to belong to a group and to perceive oneself as part of a collective identity. As a result, people tend to overlook the faults of in-group members while attributing negative traits or behavior to out-group individuals. This phenomenon has been observed in children as young as six, highlighting its early emergence in social development. The concept also touches on the broader implications of human behavior, as in-group favoritism can influence social dynamics, such as peer relationships and decision-making in contexts like employment interviews. While this bias is a common cognitive error, it can lead to unfair treatment of others and may perpetuate stereotypes and prejudice. Understanding in-group favoritism provides insight into the complexities of human social interactions and the ways biases can shape perceptions and behaviors towards others.
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In-group favoritism
In-group favoritism is a cognitive bias, which is a common logical error. Such a bias will make us feel as if we are handling a thought or an event correctly, when, in reality, our conclusion will likely be wrong. Other common cognitive biases include the optimism bias, passim bias, confirmation bias, and self-serving bias.
In-group favoritism causes people to view a particular group more favorably than another group. It likely stems from the way that people innately socialize. People innately want to belong to a group and think highly of themselves. For this reason, they will find a reason to categorize social circles as an “in-group” to which they belong and an “out-group” to which they do not belong. They are then more likely to view members of their own group positively, overlooking flaws and considering mistakes to be rare, isolated occurrences, while instinctively viewing members of other groups more negatively. In-group favoritism has been observed in children as young as six years old.
Background
A cognitive bias is an error in how people think. Typically, this bias stems from some kind of prejudice, which is a strong, preconceived notion caused by the existence of incomplete or inaccurate information. Some researchers assert that biases were originally an evolutionary advantage. They were mental processes that allowed the brain to quickly make sense of what it saw.
Because biases cause problems with critical thinking, people may struggle to understand that biases have influenced their decisions. In the moment, it may seem like a decision was made logically. However, if unrecognized, biases often make people act unfairly or negatively. They may also cause people to see patterns where none exist, or stop people from acknowledging information that could be uncomfortable.
Other types of cognitive biases exist in addition to in-group favoritism. Cognitive biases are common, and most people experience them at some point in their lives. Confirmation bias is a cognitive bias that refers to individuals unconsciously lending additional gravity to evidence supporting their own claims. This type of bias can cause people to continue supporting opinions even when a neutral examination of the evidence would show that these opinions are incorrect.
Self-serving bias is the assumption that good things happen to people because they are deserving of them, but bad things happen to people because of circumstances beyond their control. This form of cognitive bias might stop people from taking responsibility for their own bad choices, leading to repeated mistakes.
Optimism and pessimism biases account for how moods influence human perception. The optimism bias notes how humans are more likely to assume that an event will have a positive outcome if they are in a good mood. The pessimism bias reflects people being more likely to assume that a negative outcome will occur if they are in a bad mood.
Overview
In-group favoritism is a common, well-studied type of cognitive bias. This complex form of bias refers to how people categorize themselves and their favored group versus how they categorize others. According to in-group favoritism, people tend to view those within their group more favorably than those outside their group. However, exactly what qualifies as a “group” is often a matter of debate.
Henri Tajfel (1919–1982) was one of the leading researchers of in-group favoritism. His research asserted that simply dividing people into arbitrary groups, with no compelling defining characteristic for each group, was enough to encourage individuals to develop a bias. According to similar research, in-group favoritism significantly influences the behavior of children as young as six years old. Additionally, studies showed that children who expressed in-group favoritism were better liked by their peers than those who treated their peers fairly and equally.
Studies show that once people believe others are part of their group, they begin to speak more positively about them. They may also be more willing to overlook flaws in group members that would normally raise moral objections. When a flaw cannot be ignored, members of the group are more likely to argue that the flaw is a problem isolated to a specific member of the group, and that the flaw is in no way reflective of the group as a whole.
Many researchers believe that in-group favoritism is part of humanity’s natural social instincts. They argue that categorizing people into an “in-group” and an “out-group” helps people structure their social environment in a manner that is easier to understand. Additionally, humans have a natural tendency to want to feel good about themselves. Many also seek to feel superior to others. Because people belong to their group and want to feel good, they tend to view their group more favorably than other groups.
In-group favoritism does not occur when the whole group tends to perform negatively. For example, players who belong to a sports team that habitually loses most of its games are less likely to view membership on the team positively. They may even develop out-group favoritism, meaning their default view involves believing that other social groups display more positive characteristics than their own.
Several strategies can help avoid or limit in-group favoritism. Businesses can actively promote diversity and inclusivity by using standardized evaluation criteria and hiring procedures. Additionally, it is important to be mindful of one’s own biases and potential unrecognized biases to avoid personal instances of in-group favoritism. Intentionally engaging with people from different groups and backgrounds and experiencing new cultures are positive ways to improve respect for all people.
Bibliography
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