Two forms of intergroup discrimination with positive and negative outcomes: Explaining the positive-negative asymmetry effect

The minimal group paradigm is widely used for the study of intergroup discr imination. Reliably, group members show in-group favouritism in the allocat ion of positive outcomes but not in the allocation of negative outcomes. Le ss frequently investigated has been the withdrawal of positive and negative outcomes in the minimal paradigm. In this minimal group experiment the met hod of discrimination (allocation vs. withdrawal) and valence of outcomes ( positive vs. negative) were combined in a 2 x 2 design (N = 57). Participan ts showed significant in-group favouritism only in the allocate (+) conditi on, less in withdrawal (-), and none at all in the remaining two cells (whe re parity predominated). Measures or subgroup and superordinate category id entification paralleled these findings, and their inclusion as covariates i n the analyses of favouritism and parity measures eliminated the previously significant interactions, thus implicating recategorizing as the process m ediating positive-negative asymmetry effects in intergroup discrimination.