Minimal Group Paradigm Social Psychology Identity Theory Assignment
Humanities
Minimal Group Paradigm
Henri Tajfel’s Minimal Group Paradigm stands as one of the classics of social psychology. Prior to his work, researchers assumed that intergroup conflict could only occur in situations where groups had real pasts, presents, or futures in which they competed over resources. The study results revealed that intergroup conflict could occur simply with assignment into “minimal” groups. This reality was paradigm-shaking because it forced social psychologists to wrestle with the inevitability, and maybe even the intractability, of intergroup conflict.
To prepare for this Assignment, review the research methodology behind and results from the Minimal Group Paradigm. Think about how it relates to other understandings of the origins of intergroup conflict, and consider any conclusions you might draw about the inevitability of intergroup conflict based on this study.
The Assignment (3–4 pages)
- Summarize the research methodology and results from the Minimal Group Paradigm.
- Explain how the results from the Minimal Group Paradigm may complement and/or challenge the understanding of other sources of intergroup conflict (e.g., scarcity of resources, competition, history).
- Explain influences of this research on the notion of inevitability of intergroup conflict.
Support your Application Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are to provide a reference list for all resources, including those in the Learning Resources for this course.
Readings
- Fiske, S. T., Gilbert, D. T., & Lindzey, G. (Eds.). (2010). Handbook of social psychology (5th ed., Vol. 2). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
- Chapter 29, “Intergroup Bias”
- Dasgupta, N. (2004). Implicit ingroup favoritism, outgroup favoritism, and their behavioral manifestations. Social Justice Research, 17(2), 143–169.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. - Perdue, C. W., Dovidio, J. F., Gurtman, M. B., & Tyler, R. B. (1990). Us and them: Social categorization and the process of intergroup bias. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59(3), 475–486.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. - Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In S. Worchel & W. G. Austin (Eds.), Psychology of intergroup relations (The Nelson-Hall series in psychology) (pp. 7–24). Chicago, IL: Burnham.
The psychology of intergroup relations by S. Worchel & W.G. Austin. Copyright 1986 by STEPHEN WORCHEL. Reprinted by permission of STEPHEN WORCHEL via the Copyright Clearance Center. - Turner, J. C., & Reynolds, K. J. (2001). The social identity perspective in intergroup relations: Theories, themes, and controversies. In R. Brown & S. Gaertner (Eds.), Blackwell handbook of social psychology: Intergroup processes (pp. 133–152). Malden, MA: Blackwell.
Intergroup Processes by Brown, R. & Gaertner, S., in Blackwell Handbook of Social Psychology Series. Copyright 2001 by Blackwell Publishing. Reprinted by permission of Blackwell Publishing via the Copyright Clearance Center. - Wenzel, M., Mummendey, A., Weber, U., & Waldzus, S. (2003). The ingroup as pars pro toto: Projection from the ingroup onto the inclusive category as a precursor to social discrimination. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(4), 461–473.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
