The psychology of intergroup conflict: A review of theories and measures

Robert Böhm (Corresponding author), Hannes Rusch, Jonathan Baron

Publications: Contribution to journalArticlePeer Reviewed

Abstract

We review psychological research on intergroup conflict. First, we outline psychological perspectives on forms and functions of groups. Second, we present the most influential psychological theories of intergroup conflict and describe their similarities and differences in predicting individual prejudice, discrimination, and conflict engagement. Third, we review popular measures of intergroup discrimination, including rating measures, behavioral measures, and allocation tasks. Furthermore, we call for a refined semantic framework to structure and differentiate between different measures of intergroup bias. Fourth, we highlight several interventions that can de-bias intergroup relations and facilitate conflict resolution. Lastly, we propose that research on the psychology of intergroup conflict may benefit from a stronger interdisciplinary orientation regarding both theoretical perspectives and methods used and point out promising avenues for future research.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)947-962
Number of pages16
JournalJournal of Economic Behavior & Organization
Volume178
Early online date31 Jan 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2020
Externally publishedYes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

  • 501021 Social psychology

Keywords

  • CATEGORIZATION
  • COOPERATION
  • Conflict resolution
  • Discrimination
  • HUNTER-GATHERERS
  • IN-GROUP BIAS
  • INGROUP LOVE
  • Intergroup bias
  • Intergroup conflict
  • OUTGROUP HATE
  • PAROCHIAL ALTRUISM
  • POSITIVE-NEGATIVE ASYMMETRY
  • SELF-INTEREST
  • SOCIAL-DOMINANCE ORIENTATION

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