Ingroup Positivity and Outgroup Negativity Jointly Motivate Toddlers’ Social Behavior

Abstract

Intergroup bias has been a pervasive phenomenon throughout human history, but its psychological underpinnings are still the subject of debate. The present work tests whether intergroup attitudes and behaviors are motivated by ingroup positivity, outgroup negativity, or both, across the first few years of life. In two studies (total N = 128), children were introduced to an ingroup doll and an outgroup doll, and interacted with each one independently in a resource allocation task. Toddlers showed both ingroup positivity and outgroup negativity (Study 1). Preschoolers shifted from this pattern, showing positivity and avoiding negativity toward both ingroup and outgroup members (Study 2). Together, these studies suggest that outgroup negativity plays a stronger role in motivating early intergroup bias than previously thought.

Keywords:

• Early childhood
• ingroup bias
• intergroup attitudes
• social cognition
• social cognitive development

Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to all of the families who participated in this research, and to Clarise Ballesteros and the members of the Yale Infant Cognition Center for their assistance with data collection. We also thank Arber Tasimi and Marjorie Rhodes for comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript. Funding was provided by the John Templeton Foundation (#56036) and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding (Momentum Scholars Award to LC).

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lisa Chalik

Lisa Chalik is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Skidmore College. Her research interests include the development of intergroup cognition and moral judgment.

Karen Wynn

Karen Wynn is a Professor Emerita at Yale University. Her research interests include the development of morality and the mental lives of infants and animals.