What is ingroup bias, what are the examples an individual can demonstrate, and how can ingroup bias be reduced in a society?
Ingroup bias is a thing that exists in our today’s society based on how we feel about what we like.
Ingroup bias or ingroup favouritism is a type of intellectual bias where we categorize people because we don’t share the same group identification. It’s the tendency to connect and favour our own group over others.
It’s a vice that affects our perception of and attitude towards others. We tend to treat those we share a common group identity with differently, better than those we don’t.
There are several ingroup bias examples, we will be looking at some of them in this article.
Definition of Ingroup Bias
Ingroup bias or ingroup favouritism is a type of intellectual bias where we categorize people because we don’t share the same group identification. It’s the tendency to connect and favour our own group over others.
People will accept and relate with other groups they share a common identity with. According to ingroup bias, they either belong to our ingroup or an outgroup.
There are several situations where an individual can experience ingroup bias. For example, ingroup bias can occur in a workplace, school, stadium, etc.
Examples
Let’s say you are the last person waiting in line at a supermarket to pay for your grocery. Another individual decides to cut you in line. You are annoyed by this person’s behaviour until he turns around and you notice he is wearing your sports team hat.
You say “It’s okay” that you can wait a couple of minutes till it gets to your turn.
Ingroup bias affects our perception and how we behave towards others who do not belong to our ingroup. Ingroup bias can be an uncomfortable topic to discuss as it involves groups which consist of people of a specific ethnicity, race, gender, etc.
Because of ingroup bias, we take sides and favour a particular group, especially our own ingroup members. We treat them differently and we are eager to share whatever resources in our possession with them.
A typical example is how willing and excited we can be to recommend an individual from our ingroup for a job. We show little or no concern about those who do not fit in and are not members of our ingroup.
Our willingness to share resources with others is only for those called ingroup members. We think of outgroup members as being inferior, not part of us and we wouldn’t share whatever we have with them.
Ingroup bias also occurs at a larger scale between countries. it’s a common thing we have noticed in the 21st century, as there are nations that will not share their resources with others. There are several countries in the world today that do not have any diplomatic relationship with each other.
Also Read: What Are the Sociological Concepts? (Tips for Students)
What makes up an Ingroup?
These factors below could join a group to create an ingroup. We are talking about;
- Age/generation
- Favourite sports team
- Gender identity
- Neighbourhood
- Nationality
- Religious beliefs
- Workplace
- Race
- Sexual orientation
Additionally, structures may however form outgroups that isolate a specific group of people. Those who are not considered part of these isolated outgroups are part of the ingroup.
Ingroup Bias Examples
Ingroup bias can occur in a workplace, school, stadium, etc. We will be looking at some ingroup bias examples and how it affects others.
Age Segregation
People tend to connect and interact with individuals within their age range. They feel more connected interacting with their peers, as they often share similar perspectives about life in general.
This can create a gap in terms of relating with younger or older people. Age segregation can potentially exclude others who do not fall within a specific age range.
According to an article published by Stanford Social Innovation Review, separation by age left today’s world ill-equipped. Age segregation has contributed to social issues such as loneliness, ageism, and generational enmity.
Also Read: 15 Adaptive Behavior Examples
Team Affinity
We talked about this earlier in this article, as we will recognize and relate with an individual supporting the same sports team as us. This shows how passionate we can get with our favourite sports team.
People tend to socialize with others who support their favourite sports team. Since we support the same sports team, we can connect, agree on an idea, and interact just fine.
Intelligence Bias
Intelligence doesn’t come in sizes or colours. Whether an individual belongs to an ethnic group or race, it has nothing to do with their level of intelligence.
We sometimes see other people who share a similar identity with us as being more intelligent, while those who do not share a similar identity with us are perceived as unintelligent.
Doing this can make us feel superior to others and prevent us from learning from diverse perspectives and opinions.
Fraternity Favouritism
Another ingroup bias example is fraternity favouritism.
Becoming a member of a fraternity while in college can potentially favour an individual looking for a job.
Identifying and choosing a job applicant because he was a member of your college fraternity is an ingroup bias example. We choose to give that person the job because we identify him.
We are doing this neglecting if that individual is even qualified for the job. This may lead us to employ an individual who is not competent enough for that job position.
Preferential Treatment
When we allow someone to cut in line just because they wear a political slogan we identify with is another example of ingroup bias. We favour people based on the fact we share a common belief with them.
Although preferential treatment can create connections with others who share similar views, it doesn’t promote the values of social norms.
Also Read: What are The Examples of Discourse Analysis?
Athletic Bonding
Team spirit during a sports game is always exciting and bonding. This has the tendency to create a strong connection between college athletes and those who share similar interests.
On the other hand, it can lead to the exclusion of non-athletes and create a gap among students.
National Pride
We listed nationality as one of the factors that could join a group to create an ingroup.
When you are abroad and hardly see your countrymen, you will likely get a little excited when you meet one. Recognizing someone from your country and treating them differently because you are in a position to favour them demonstrates ingroup bias.
For example, a flight attendant being too friendly to a passenger from her country clearly demonstrates ingroup bias.
Ethnicity Preference
This we can all agree is a common thing in our today’s society. A faculty member favouring college students from the same ethnicity shows an ingroup bias.
Also Read: 10 Asynchronous Learning Examples Strengths and Weaknesses
Belief Perseverance
When we hold on to our beliefs regardless of contrary facts and evidence before us is perceived as an ingroup bias. This creates a stronger connection with those we share a common belief.
Dietary Divides
We can choose what is suitable for us to consume. But creating a gap with those who don’t prefer our choice of food demonstrates ingroup bias.
Vegetarians may decide to distance themselves from non-vegetarians and that demonstrates an ingroup bias.
How to Reduce Ingroup Bias as an Individual
We have discussed ingroup bias examples. Here, we want to look at how individuals can reduce ingroup bias.
Reflect
Ingroup bias allows us to recognize people we share a common interest and identity with. It was created for that purpose.
These separations are not built into our psyche. Think about why and what makes an individual a member of your ingroup. Is it because of their socioeconomic status, race, or gender?
Is it because of the sports team they support or the language they speak as a people?
Think about what may drive you to connect, relate, or favour an individual over the other person.
Also Read: Difference Between Expository and Argumentative Essay
Discussion Ingroup Bias
At some point, we realized that we are making a decision because of ingroup bias. Try talking to other people outside your ingroups about biases. Hear what they have to say and understand their opinion and perspectives.
What does it feel like for everyone to be part of an ingroup or an outgroup?
Conclusion
Ingroup bias is a vice that affects our perception and attitude towards others. We tend to treat those we share a common group identity with differently, better than those we don’t.
Engaging in discussions with those we see as an outgroup and reflecting on why someone is a part of our ingroup is how we can reduce ingroup bias.
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References
- Scribbr: What Is Ingroup Bias? | Definition & Examples
- HeplfulProfessor: 16 Ingroup Bias Examples
- Practicalpie: Ingroup Bias (Definition + Examples)
- SSIR.org: Overcoming Age Segregation
- BS Hasler, B Spanlang, M Slater – PloS one, 2017: Virtual race transformation reverses racial in-group bias
- LA Rudman, SA Goodwin – Journal of personality and social …, 2004: Gender differences in automatic in-group bias: Why do women like women more than men like men
