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Related Experiment Videos

Social identity complexity and outgroup tolerance.

Marilynn B Brewer1, Kathleen P Pierce

  • 1Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. brewer.64@osu.edu

Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|January 20, 2005
PubMed
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Individuals with low social identity complexity, perceiving their ingroups as overlapping, show less tolerance for outgroups. Higher social identity complexity, marked by distinct ingroups, correlates with greater acceptance of diversity.

Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Social identity complexity describes how individuals perceive relationships among their multiple group memberships.
  • Low complexity individuals view ingroups as overlapping, while high complexity individuals see them as distinct and cross-cutting.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the hypothesis that perceived ingroup overlap negatively relates to outgroup tolerance.
  • To examine the link between social identity complexity and attitudes toward ethnic outgroups and diversity.

Main Methods:

  • A telephone interview survey was conducted with adult residents of Ohio.
  • Individual differences in the perception of social identity complexity across various ingroups were assessed.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Results supported the hypothesis: higher perceived ingroup overlap (low complexity) was associated with lower tolerance for outgroups.
  • Perceived complexity in national, religious, occupational, political, and recreational identities systematically related to attitudes toward ethnic outgroups and diversity.

    • Conclusions:

    • Individuals with less complex social identities tend to be less inclusive and tolerant of outgroups.
    • The structure of social identity perception significantly influences intergroup attitudes and acceptance of diversity.