in-group bias

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the tendency of people to favour, trust, and behave more positively toward members of their own social group — defined by nationality, ethnicity, religion, profession, university, sports team, or any other identity category — compared to members of out-groups; in-group bias operates through multiple psychological mechanisms including categorisation — the cognitive sorting of people into groups — identification — the emotional investment in group membership as part of self-concept — and comparison — the motivation to view one's own group favourably relative to other groups; Henri Tajfel and John Turner's social identity theory demonstrated that in-group bias can emerge even when group membership is assigned arbitrarily and randomly, suggesting that the mere act of categorisation, rather than shared history or genuine common interest, is sufficient to trigger preferential treatment of in-group members; in-group bias has implications for discrimination, intergroup conflict, nepotism, and the failure of organisations to treat all members equitably