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Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, Vol. 9, No. 2, 181-197 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1368430206062076
© 2006 SAGE Publications

Effects of Threat to a Valued Social Identity on Implicit Self-Esteem and Discrimination

Julie D. Smurda

Michele A. Wittig

Gokce Gokalp

California State University, Northridge

This research provides an experimental test of the self-esteem hypothesis that avoids potential hypothesis guessing and self-presentational concerns associated with previous research by including subtle measures of both social self-esteem and intergroup discrimination. The role of group identification and social self-esteem as determinants of ingroup bias was examined under high and low identity-threatening conditions utilizing an implicit measure of social self-esteem. Participants read a fictitious statement indicating whether their university received a good or bad evaluation relative to a rival university and then made attributions for this situation. High group identifiers had a greater decrease in implicit social self-esteem after a threat than low group identifiers did and they displayed the greatest ingroup favoritism. Greater ingroup-serving bias was associated with a subsequent increase in implicit social self-esteem.

Key Words: implicit self-esteem • intergroup bias • intergroup discrimination • self-esteem hypothesis • social identity theory

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