NORMATIVE EVALUATIONS AND FREQUENCY EXPECTATIONS REGARDING POSITIVE VERSUS NEGATIVE OUTCOME ALLOCATIONS BETWEEN GROUPS

Data from several recent studies consistently show a positive-negative asymmetry in social discrimination: within a minimal social situation tendencies cowards ingroup favouritism which usually appear in alloca tions of positively valenced resources are absent in the domain of neg atively valenced stimuli. The present study investigates whether this valence-asymmetry has any correspondence to variations in normative ev aluations of positive versus negative outcome allocations. For this pu rpose perceptions of normative appropriateness as well as frequency ex pectations of outside observers regarding outcome allocations made by categorized group members were investigated. Results show that parity choices were perceived as more normatively appropriate than out- or in group favouritism. While out group favouritism was judged as inapprop riate as in group favouritism for positive resources, in group favouri ng decisions for negative resources were perceived as the least approp riate response within the minimal social situation. In addition, in co ntrast to results of St. Claire and Turner (1982) non-categorized subj ects expected ingroup favouring decisions by group members more freque ntly than parity or outgroup favouring choices with respect to positiv ely valanced resources. When, however, negative resources were to be a llocated outgroup favouritism was predominantly expected. Results are discussed in terms of justice considerations and are linked to a norma tive account of the positive-negative asymmetry in social discriminati on.