Beyond Group Identity: Personality Predictors of Bias in the Minimal Group and Sheer-Difference Paradigms

Le résumé fourni par la source

Participants in the minimal group paradigm tend to favour ingroup versus outgroup members, even at the cost of total gain. This is bias traditionally explained by Social Identity Theory as a means of boosting self-image through identification with one’s ingroup. However, similar patterns emerge in the sheer difference paradigm, when no groups are formed, suggesting that even superficial similarities can drive bias (Deschrijver & Ramsey, 2025). If no group division is present in the sheer difference paradigm, what explains this behaviour? While low self-esteem has sometimes been linked to greater discrimination in the minimal group paradigm (Lemyre & Smith, 1985), its effect in the sheer-difference paradigm remains unclear; therefore, we will measure it using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Yet, it may also be the case that individual preferences for cooperative versus competitive behavior may better explain these effects. Traits like prosocial social value orientation and high honesty-humility (HEXACO model, Lee & Ashton, 2004) are expected to predict fairer decisions (Hilbig & Zettler, 2009). Furthermore, we assess whether levels of enlightened compassion, a form of compassion not grounded in favoritism (Lawn et al., 2023), is associated with fairer decision-making as well. This study examines how social value orientation, honesty-humility, enlightened compassion, and self-esteem relate to allocation patterns in the sheer difference paradigm, aiming to uncover the personality traits most predictive of fairness versus bias.

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