3-228 - The Essence of my Group and Yours: Using Research on Essentialism to Clarify Intergroup Processes

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Early in development, people begin to sort themselves into groups based on social markers. This symposium uses cutting-edge research on essentialism—the view that social category membership arises from innate, unchanging “essences” that distinguish groups from each other—to clarify how group-based essentialism arises (Papers 1-2) and how it affects social cognition (Papers 3-4). In Paper 1, shared rituals facilitated the development of essentialist beliefs about children’s in-groups. Paper 2 indicates that generic statements (e.g., “Zarpies have striped hair”) elicit essentialist views of out-groups by marking the category as culturally meaningful, and their effects persist even if the properties they assert are falsified (e.g., “No, Zarpies don’t have striped hair”). Thus, both shared rituals and generics can give rise to essentialism, although these factors may play different roles in essentialist views of in-groups versus out-groups. Paper 3 directly tests essentialism of different groups and shows that out-groups elicit more essentialism than in-groups. As a result, children view in-group members as individuals but out-group members as category exemplars. Paper 4 highlights the tenacity of essentialism across social experience—children exhibited similar degrees of essentialism toward incarcerated people regardless of whether or not their own parents were incarcerated—and reveals that providing children with non-essentialist explanations improves perceptions of offenders. These papers unite work on essentialism and intergroup cognition to discover how essentialism arises and how it affects social cognition. Further, this panel highlights ways to leverage research on essentialism to improve intergroup relations.

Sub Unit

• Cognitive Processes

Chair

• Larisa Heiphetz, Columbia University

Individual Presentations

• The Essence of Social Groups: Ritual Increases Children’s Affiliation With In-Group Members - Presenting Author: Nicole J. Wen, The University of Texas at Austin; Non-Presenting Author: Aiyana K. Willard, Brunell University London; Non-Presenting Author: Michaela Caughy, The University of Texas at Austin; Non-Presenting Author: Cristine H Legare, University of Texas at Austin

• Form Over Content: Generic Scope Communicates Essentialist Beliefs - Presenting Author: Emily Foster-Hanson, New York University; Non-Presenting Author: Sarah-Jane Leslie, Princeton University; Non-Presenting Author: Marjorie Rhodes, New York University

• The Out-Group Homogeneity Effect Across Development - Presenting Author: Gil Diesendruck, Bar-Ilan University; Non-Presenting Author: Reut Shilo, Bar-Ilan University; Non-Presenting Author: Anika Weinsdorfer, University of Gottingen; Non-Presenting Author: Hannes Rakoczy, University of Gottingen

• How Essentialism Shapes, and is Shaped by, Social Realities - Presenting Author: Larisa Heiphetz, Columbia University; Non-Presenting Author: James Dunlea, Columbia University