INGROUP BIAS AS A FUNCTION OF SALIENCE, RELEVANCE, AND STATUS - AN INTEGRATION

This paper reports the results of a meta-analytic integration of the r esults of 137 tests of the ingroup bias hypothesis. Overall, the ingro up bias effect was highly significant and of moderate magnitude. Sever al theoretically informative determinants of the ingroup bias effect w ere established. This ingroup bias effect was significantly stronger w hen the ingroup was made salient (by virtue of proportionate size and by virtue of reality of the group categorization). A significant inter action between the reality of the group categorization and the relativ e status of the ingroup revealed a slight decrease in the ingroup bias effect as a function of status in real groups, and a significant incr ease in the ingroup bias effect as a function of status in artificial groups. Finally, an interaction between item relevance and ingroup sta tus was observed, such that higher status groups exhibited more ingrou p bias on more relevant attributes, whereas lower status groups exhibi ted more ingroup bias on less relevant attributes. Discussion consider s the implications of these results for current theory and future rese arch involving the ingroup bias effect.