RELATIVE GROUP-SIZE AND COGNITIVE REPRESENTATIONS OF INGROUP AND OUTGROUP - THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF BEING IN A GROUP

Two studies examined cognitive representations of ingroups and outgrou ps of varying relative group size. These cognitive representations wer e examined in the context of the category verification paradigm wherei n subjects have to decide the category membership for prototypic and n onprototypic exemplars of (ingroup and outgroup) social categories. Th e results of both studies confirm the prediction that the small group is subject to greater prototype cognitive representation, whereas the larger group is subject to greater exemplar cognitive representation. Discussion considers the implications of these results for some parado xes of intergroup behavior and for stereotyping in general.