NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION AND INGROUP BIAS IN MAJORITY AND MINORITY-GROUPS - A FIELD-STUDY

This field study tested the prediction that subjects' ratings of ident ification with their group and ingroup bias relating to their group wo uld both be stronger for minority ethnic groups within Australia than for subjects from the majority Australian group. These hypotheses were tested using a sample of 373 Year 11 students from high schools in me tropolitan Adelaide, South Australia. Subjects completed a Cultural Cr inge Scale (CCS) designed to measure subjects' evaluation of Australia n products and achievements compared with those of other countries, si x items derived from the CCS but targeted to subjects' own reported na tional group, and measures of national identity and identification wit h own national group. The cultural cringe items were scored in the dir ection of positive bias towards Australia or own national group. Resul ts showed that, as predicted, identification with own national group w as stronger for subjects from minority groups who reported non-Austral ian identity than for subjects from the majority Australian group, but this result was not replicated for students with Vietnamese, Creek, o r Chinese national identities. Female subjects showed more positive bi as towards their group than male subjects. Contrary to prediction, ing roup bias was stronger for the majority group subjects than for the mi nority group subjects. Results were discussed in terms of salience, so cial identity theory, and the optimal distinctiveness model.