← all facts
social
You prefer strangers just because they are like you.
A 1970 study found that participants assigned to arbitrary groups awarded more money to their own team, even when group members were strangers.
Your brain is hardwired for tribalism, even in the absence of real history or meaningful connection. You automatically categorize people as us and them, then treat the two groups with systemic inequality.
You are inherently biased in favor of your own team.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Tajfel, 1970
- What the check found
- The 1970 study (Tajfel et al.) is the seminal work establishing the 'Minimal Group Paradigm,' demonstrating that categorization alone is sufficient to induce ingroup favoritism.
- Confidence
- Well replicated
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.