RPG: Predictors of Extreme Evaluations of Ingroup and Outgroup Members

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9409921 Bettencourt ABSTRACT Several hypotheses regarding the extremity of judging members of ingroups and outgroups are derived from a comprehensive analysis of the existing and contradictory research literature on polarization effects. The proposed research focuses on generating stimulus materials and pilot data that will permit the PI to test three hypotheses in a subsequent grant application: 1) the 'complexity-extremity' hypothesis that outgroup members will be evaluated more extremely because perceivers have lower cognitive complexity regarding out-groups than in-groups; 2) the 'black sheep' hypothesis that extreme members of ingroups (both good and bad) are evaluated more extremely than equivalently good or bad outgroup members; 3) the 'expectancy violation' hypothesis that ingroup and outgroup members will be evaluated more extremely to the extent that their behavior violates perceivers' expectancies. The research is important because it promises to provide new insights into the question of why people evaluate the same behavior differently when it is performed by a member of their ingroup than when it is performed by a member of another group. This phenomenon has implications for discriminatory treatment in academic settings, work settings, the courtroom. By increasing our understanding of the nature of these prejudicial effects and the psychological processes underlying them, the present research will place us in a better position to reduce them. ***