Ethnocentrism, social identification, and discrimination

In line with social identity theory (SIT), minimal group paradigm (MGP) stu dies have shown that high in-group identifiers discriminate more than low i n-group identifiers. But why do some people identify more to their ad hoc g roup in the MGP? One week prior to a MGP study, 121 undergraduates complete d scales assessing their ethnocentrism, authoritarianism, and personal need for structure. lit Phase 2, the same participants took part in a MGP study in which us-them categorization was either assigned randomly or was chosen . Participants who chose their group membership identified more with their own group and discriminated more than, respondents randomly assigned to the ir group. Path analysis showed that ethnocentrism and perception Of control over group ascription Predicted degree of in-group identification, which i n turn, was positively related to discriminatory behavior.