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[Bilateral dependency and the minimal group paradigm]
N Jin1, T Yamagishi, T Kiyonari
1Department of Behavioral Science, Faculty of Letters, Hokkaido University, Sapporo.
Summary
Illusion of control significantly drives in-group favoritism in minimal group situations. When individuals believe their decisions matter, they favor their own group, a bias explained by perceived control.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- The minimal group paradigm demonstrates in-group favoritism.
- Illusion of control is a cognitive bias where individuals overestimate their influence on outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal link between illusion of control and in-group favoritism.
- To test the hypothesis that illusion of control explains in-group bias in reward allocation.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted using a minimal group paradigm.
- Participants were assigned to either a bilateral dependency condition (perceived control) or a unilateral dependency condition (no perceived control).
- Reward allocation decisions between in-group and out-group members were analyzed.
Main Results:
- In-group bias in reward distribution was observed in the bilateral dependency condition but not in the unilateral condition.
- Experiment 2 revealed that only participants experiencing an illusion of control displayed in-group favoritism.
- The findings support the hypothesis that illusion of control underlies in-group bias.
Conclusions:
- Illusion of control is a key psychological mechanism driving in-group favoritism.
- Understanding perceived control is crucial for explaining intergroup behavior and bias.
- The study validates prior hypotheses on the role of illusion of control in social decision-making.