Ingroup Bias

What is ingroup bias?

Ingroup bias is preferential evaluation or treatment of people identified as members of one's own group. It can appear in judgments, trust, or allocation of resources.

In Tajfel and colleagues’ experiments (1971), even relatively arbitrary group classifications produced favoritism in allocating rewards. This shows that a long history of conflict is not always needed for differential treatment.

Ingroup favoritism versus outgroup hostility

Favoring the ingroup does not necessarily mean disliking or wanting to harm outsiders. Brewer’s research review (1999) distinguishes ingroup attachment from outgroup hostility. Favoritism can nevertheless disadvantage people outside the group.

Example of ingroup bias

For example, giving a fellow club member extra consideration for an opportunity could reflect ingroup bias if group membership substitutes for relevant qualifications. To check for this pattern, compare the criteria used for members and nonmembers, then examine who receives the opportunities. Recognizing the possibility of bias is only a starting point.