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Lost in the crowd: entitative group membership reduces mind attribution
Carey K Morewedge1, Jesse J Chandler, Robert Smith
1Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, United States.
Group membership reduces perceived individuality and mind attribution. Larger groups and perceived similarity decrease mind attribution, highlighting the impact of social context on person perception.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Person Perception
Background:
- Group membership significantly influences social cognition.
- Understanding how group dynamics affect the perception of individual minds is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms by which group membership diminishes mind attribution.
- To explore the factors influencing the perception of an individual's mental state within a group context.
Main Methods:
- Five experiments were conducted involving human and nonhuman targets.
- Participants' mind attribution ratings were measured in relation to group size, group membership perception, and target distinctiveness.
Main Results:
- Mind attribution was inversely correlated with group size.
- Perception of an individual as a distinct or distant group member increased mind attribution.
- The effect was driven by the perception of entitative group membership, not mere knowledge.
Conclusions:
- Group membership, particularly perceived entitativity and cohesion, significantly reduces mind attribution to individuals.
- Social context and perceptual factors play a key role in how we attribute mental states to others.
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