This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Overbeck, J. R. Articles by Flizik, A. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Resistant versus Acquiescent Responses to Ingroup Inferiority as a Function of Social Dominance Orientation in the USA and Italy

Stanford University

John T. Jost

Stanford University and Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University

Cristina O. Mosso

University of Turin

Agnieszka Flizik

Stanford University

Social identity theory typically emphasizes how low status group members resist and challenge imputations of inferiority (Tajfel & Turner, 1979), whereas system justification theory emphasizes the tendency to accept and justify status hierarchies (Jost & Banaji, 1994). On the theoretical assumption that responses to ingroup inferiority would vary according to individual differences in social dominance orientation (SDO; Pratto, Sidanius, Stallworth, & Malle, 1994), we predicted and found in two studies that low SDO members of low status groups engage in resistance and social competition, as social identity theory would predict, whereas high SDO members follow system justifying patterns of acquiescence and even active bolstering of the status quo. The fact that the studies were conducted in two cultures (USA and Italy) that differ with regard to hierarchical traditions and beliefs about social mobility increases the generalizeability of the results and strengthens the conclusion that SDO predicts acquiescent vs. resistant responses to ingroup inferiority.

Key Words: inferiority • intergroup relations • outgroup favoritism • power • social dominance • social identity • status • system justification

References

• Allport, G. W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Cambridge, MA: Addison-Wesley .
• Altemeyer, R. A. (1998). The other ‘authoritarian personality’ . Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 30, 47–91 .
• Bettencourt, B. A., Dorr, N., Charlton, K., & Hume, D. L. (2001). Status differences and ingroup bias: A meta-analytic examination of the effects of status stability, status legitimacy, and group permeability . Psychological Bulletin, 127, 520–542 .[CrossRef][ISI][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• Biko, S. (1978). I write what I like. San Francisco: Harper & Row .
• Billig, M. (1976). Social psychology and intergroup relations. London: Academic Press .
• Bobo, L., & Hutchings, V. L. (1996). Perceptions of racial group competition: Extending Blumer’s theory of group position to a multiracial social context . American Sociological Review, 61, 951–972 .[CrossRef]
• Brewer, M. B. (1979). Ingroup bias in the minimal intergroup situation: A cognitive–motivational analysis . Psychological Bulletin, 86, 307–324 .[CrossRef][ISI]
• Brewer, M. B., & Miller, N. (1996). Intergroup relations. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press .
• Caddick, B. (1982). Perceived illegitimacy and intergroup relations. In H. Tajfel (Ed.), Social identity and intergroup relations(pp. 137–154). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press .
• Capozza, D., Bonaldo, E., & DiMaggio A. (1982). Problems of identity and social conflict: research on ethnic groups in Italy. In H. Tajfel (Ed.), Social identity and intergroup relations(pp. 299–334). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press .
• Chen, E. S., & Tyler, T. R. (2001). Cloaking power: Legitimizing myths and the psychology of the advantaged. In A. Y. Lee-Chai & J. Bargh (Eds.), The use and abuse of power: Multiple perspectives on the causes of corruption. Philadelphia: Psychology Press .
• Crocker, J., Major, B., & Steele, C. M. (1998). Social stigma. In D. T. Gilbert, S. T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology(pp. 504–553). Boston: McGraw-Hill .
• Della Fave, L. R. (1980). The meek shall not inherit the earth: Self-evaluation and the legitimacy of stratification . American Sociological Review, 45, 955–971 .[CrossRef]
• Ellemers, N., Spears, R., & Doosje, B. (1997). Sticking together or falling apart: In-group identification as a psychological determinant of group commitment versus individual mobility . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 617–626 .[CrossRef]
• Ellemers, N., & Van Rijswijk, W. (1997). Identity needs versus social opportunities: The use of group-level and individual-level identity management strategies . Social Psychology Quarterly, 60, 52–65 .[CrossRef]
• Ellemers, N., Wilke, H., & van Knippenberg, A. (1993). Effects of the legitimacy of low group or individual status on individual and collective status-enhancement strategies . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 766–778 .[CrossRef]
• Elster, J. (1982). Belief, bias, and ideology. In M. Hollis & S. Lukes (Eds.), Rationality and relativism(pp. 123–148). Oxford: Basil Blackwell .
• Fanon, F. (1963). The wretched of the earth. New York: Grove Press .
• Federico, C. M. (1999). The interactive effects of social dominance orientation, group status, and perceived stability on favoritism for high-status groups . Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 2, 119–144 .
• Fiske, S. T., Cuddy, A. J. C., Glick, P., & Xu, J. (2002). A model of (often mixed) stereotype content: Competence and warmth respectively follow from perceived status and competition . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 878–902 .[CrossRef][ISI][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• Glazer, N. (2002, February 11). Why Americans don’t care about income inequality . Paper presented at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.
• Glick, P., & Fiske, S. T. (2001). An ambivalent alliance: Hostile and benevolent sexism as complementary justifications for gender inequality . American Psychologist, 56, 109–118 .[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• Haines, E. L., & Jost, J. T. (2000). Placating the powerless: Effects of legitimate and illegitimate explanation on affect, memory, and stereotyping . Social Justice Research, 13, 219–236 .[CrossRef]
• Hinkle, S., & Brown, R. (1990). Intergroup comparisons and social identity: Some links and lacunae. In D. Abrams & M. A. Hogg (Eds.), Social identity theory: Constructive and critical advances(pp. 48–70). New York: Springer-Verlag .
• Ho, E. A., Sanbonmatsu, D. M., & Akimoto, S. A. (2002). The effects of comparative status on social stereotypes: How the perceived success of some persons affects the stereotypes of others . Social Cognition, 20, 36–57 .[CrossRef]
• Hofstede, G. H. (1997). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind. New York: McGraw-Hill .
• Hogg, M. A. (2000). Subjective uncertainty reduction through self-categorization: A motivational theory of social identity processes . European Review of Social Psychology, 11, 223–253 .
• Hogg, M. A., & Abrams, D. (1988). Social identifications: A social psychology of intergroup relations and group processes. London: Routledge .
• Hornsey, M. J., Spears, R., Cremers, I., & Hogg, M. A. (2003). Relations between high and low power groups: The importance of legitimacy . Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 216–227 .[Abstract]
• Jackman, M. R. (1994). The velvet glove: Paternalism and conflict in gender, class, and race relations. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press .
• Jost, J. T. (1995). Negative illusions: Conceptual clarification and psychological evidence concerning false consciousness . Political Psychology, 16, 397–424 .
• Jost, J. T. (2001). Outgroup favoritism and the theory of system justification: An experimental paradigm for investigating the effects of socioeconomic success on stereotype content. In G. Moskowitz (Ed.), Cognitive social psychology: The Princeton Symposium on the legacy and future of social cognition(pp. 89–102). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum .
• Jost, J. T., & Banaji, M. R. (1994). The role of stereotyping in system-justification and the production of false consciousness . British Journal of Social Psychology, 33, 1–27 .
• Jost, J. T., & Burgess, D. (2000). Attitudinal ambivalence and the conflict between group and system justification motives in low status groups . Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 293–305 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
• Jost, J. T., Glaser, J., Kruglanski, A. W., & Sulloway, F. (2003). Political conservatism as motivated social cognition . Psychological Bulletin, 129, 339–375 .[CrossRef][ISI][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• Jost, J. T., & Hunyady, O. (2002). The psychology of system justification and the palliative function of ideology . European Review of Social Psychology, 13, 111–153 .[CrossRef]
• Jost, J. T., Pelham, B. W., & Carvallo, M. (2002). Non-conscious forms of system justification: Cognitive, affective, and behavioral preferences for higher status groups . Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 586–602 .[CrossRef]
• Jost, J. T., Pelham, B. W., Sheldon, O., & Sullivan, B. N. (2003). Social inequality and the reduction of ideological dissonance on behalf of the system: Evidence of enhanced system justification among the disadvantaged . European Journal of Social Psychology, 33, 13–36 .[CrossRef]
• Jost, J. T., & Thompson, E. P. (2000). Group-based dominance and opposition to equality as independent predictors of self-esteem, ethnocentrism, and social policy attitudes among African Americans and European Americans . Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 36, 209–232 .
• Klemperer, V. (1995). I will bear witness. New York: Random House .
• Kluegel, J. R., & Smith, E. R. (1986). Beliefs about inequality: Americans’ view of what is and what ought to be. Hawthorne, NJ: Aldine de Gruyter .
• Lalonde, R. N., & Silverman, R. A. (1994). Behavioral preferences in response to social injustice: The effects of group permeability and social identity salience . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 78–85 .[CrossRef]
• Lane, R. E. (1959). The fear of equality . American Political Science Review, 53, 35–51 .[CrossRef][ISI]
• Levin, S., Federico, C. M., Sidanius, J., & Rabinowitz, J. L. (2002). Social dominance orientation and intergroup bias: The legitimation of favoritism for high-status groups . Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 144–157 .[Abstract/Free Full Text]
• Lewin, K. (1941). Self-hatred among Jews. In Resolving social conflicts: Selected papers on group dynamics(pp. 186–200). New York: Harper & Brothers .
• MacKinnon, C. A. (1989). Toward a feminist theory of the state. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press .
• Major, B. (1994). From social inequality to personal entitlement: The role of social comparisons, legitimacy appraisals, and group memberships . Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 26, 293–355 .
• Major, B., Gramzow, R. H., McCoy, S. K., Levin, S., Schmader, T., & Sidanius, J. (2002). Perceiving personal discrimination: The role of group status and legitimizing ideology . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 269–282 .[CrossRef][ISI][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• Mamet, D. (2001, January). Stagebillfor American Conservatory Theatre production of Glengarry Glen Ross, San Francisco .
• Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1846/1970). The German ideology(C. J. Arthur, Ed.) New York: International Publishers .
• McGuire, W. J. (1997). Creative hypothesis generating in psychology: Some useful heuristics . Annual Review of Psychology, 48, 1–30 .[CrossRef][ISI][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• Mullen, B., Brown, R., & Smith, C. (1992). Ingroup bias as a function of salience, relevance, and status: An integration . European Journal of Social Psychology, 22, 103–122 .
• Mummendey, A., Klink, A., Mielke, R., Wenzel, M., & Blanz, M. (1999). Sociostructural characteristics of intergroup relations and identity management strategies: Results from a field study in East Germany . European Journal of Social Psychology, 29, 259–285 .[CrossRef][ISI]
• Pratto, F., Sidanius, J., Stallworth, L. M., & Malle, B. F. (1994). Social dominance orientation: A personality variable predicting social and political attitudes . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 741–763 .[CrossRef][ISI]
• Rabinowitz, J. L. (1999). Go with the flow or fight the power? The interactive effects of social dominance orientation and perceived injustice on support for the status quo . Political Psychology, 20, 1–24 .
• Ridgeway, C., Diekema, D., and Johnson, C. (1995). Legitimacy, compliance, and gender in peer groups . Social Psychology Quarterly, 58, 298–311 .[CrossRef]
• Schmader, T., Major, B., Eccleston, C. P., & McCoy, S. K. (2001). Devaluing domains in response to threatening intergroup comparisons perceived legitimacy and the status value asymmetry . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 782–796 .[CrossRef][ISI][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• Sidanius, J., Levin, S., Federico, C., & Pratto, F. (2001). Legitimizing ideologies: The social dominance approach. In J. T. Jost & B. Major (Eds.), The psychology of legitimacy: Emerging perspectives on ideology, justice, and intergroup relations(pp. 307–331). New York: Cambridge University Press .
• Sidanius, J., & Pratto, F. (1993). The inevitability of oppression and the dynamics of social dominance. In P. Sniderman, P. E. Tetlock, & E. G. Carmines (Eds.), Prejudice, politics, and the American dilemma(pp. 173–211). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press .
• Sidanius, J., & Pratto, F. (1999). Social dominance: An intergroup theory of social hierarchy and oppression. New York: Cambridge University Press .
• Sorrentino, R. M., & Roney, C. J. R. (2000). The uncertain mind: Individual differences in facing the unknown. Philadelphia: Psychology Press/Taylor & Francis .
• Spears, R., Jetten, J., & Doosje, B. (2001). The (il)legitimacy of ingroup bias: From social reality to social resistance. In J. T. Jost & B. Major (Eds.), The psychology of legitimacy: Emerging perspectives on ideology, justice, and intergroup relations(pp. 332–362). New York: Cambridge University Press .
• Spears, R., & Manstead, A. S. R. (1989). The social context of stereotyping and differentiation . European Journal of Social Psychology, 19, 101–121 .
• Stacey, B. G., & Green, R. T. (1971). Working-class conservatism: A review and an empirical study . British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 10, 10–26 .
• Tajfel, H. (1981). Human groups and social categories. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press .
• Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations(pp. 33–47). Monterey, CA: Brooks-Cole .
• Turner, J. C., & Brown, R. (1978). Social status, cognitive alternatives, and intergroup relations. In H. Tajfel (Ed.), Differentiation between social groups(pp. 201–234). London: Academic Press .
• Turner, J. C., Hogg, M. A., Oakes, P. J., Reicher, S. D., & Wetherell, M. S. (1987). Rediscovering the social group: A self-categorization theory. Oxford: Blackwell .
• van Knippenberg, A. (1978). Status differences, comparative relevance and intergroup differentiation. In H. Tajfel (Ed.), Differentiation between social groups(pp. 171–199). London: Academic Press .
• Wilson, G. D. (Ed.) (1973). The psychology of conservatism. London: Academic Press .

CiteULike

Connotea

Del.icio.us

Digg

Reddit

Technorati

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. T. O'Brien and B. Major System-Justifying Beliefs and Psychological Well-Being: The Roles of Group Status and Identity Pers Soc Psychol Bull, December 1, 2005; 31(12): 1718 - 1729. [Abstract] [PDF]

This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Overbeck, J. R. Articles by Flizik, A. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?