Out-Group

What is an out-group?

An out-group (also written outgroup) is a group considered outside one’s own relevant group membership. Compared with an in-group, whose membership a person shares, an out-group falls outside that boundary. The classification is relational: the same people may be fellow members in one setting and members of a different group in another.

Social categorization and social identity

Social categorization draws a boundary between “us” and “them.” Social identity theory concerns how group membership contributes to self-concept and why people may favor a group they identify with. Group boundaries, identification, and behavior toward others are related questions, but they are not interchangeable.

Research foundation

Tajfel and colleagues’ 1971 experiments found preferential allocation to one’s assigned group even when the categories were relatively trivial. The studies demonstrate that prior personal hostility is not necessary for some forms of group favoritism.

Illustrative example

Two people may support different sports teams but belong to the same workplace team. Which group distinction matters depends on the situation being considered.

Out-groups, prejudice, and conflict

Out-group membership does not itself mean dislike, danger, or inferiority. Favoring one’s own group is also not identical to actively harming another. Claims about prejudice, cooperation, or conflict need evidence beyond the existence of a group boundary.

Out-group bias and outgroup derogation

Outgroup derogation means devaluing or disparaging another group. It differs from simply preferring one’s own group: giving a fellow team member extra support is not the same action as insulting a rival. The APA definition of outgroup includes both general nonmembership and use of the term for a disparaged rival group.

Outgroup homogeneity bias is a more specific concept concerning perceived similarity among out-group members.