Reducing intergroup bias: Elements of intergroup cooperation

The authors examined the potentially separable contributions of 2 elements of intergroup cooperation, interaction and common fate, and the processes t hrough which they can operate. The manipulation of interaction reduced bias in evaluative ratings, which supports the idea that these components are s eparable, whereas the manipulation of common fate when the groups were inte racting was associated with lower bias in nonverbal facial reactions in res ponse to contributions by in-group and out-group members. Whereas interacti on activated several processes that can lead to reduced bias, including dec ategorization, consistent with the common in-group identify model is (S. L. Gaertner, J. F. Dovidio, P. A. Anastasio, B. A. Bachman, B M. C. Rust, 199 3) as well as M. Hewstone and R. J. Brown's (1986) group differentiation mo del, the primary set of mediators involved participants' representations of the memberships as 2 subgroups within a superordinate entity.