A Study Of The Role Disease Threat Playing In The Formation Of In-group Derogation

Objective:This paper preliminary explored the relationship among the vulnerability degree of individual disease, extrinsic disease cues and the levels of in-group derogation, and studied the role disease threats played in the formation process of in-group derogation as well.Research methods:This paper used the minimal group paradigm to operate subjects’grouping, then finished the task of preference selection. To be more specific, it is:Study1:The experiment grouped the subjects with the method of minimal group paradigm. The subjects then completed the preference task of target identity, which is the human face. Finally, they need to complete the scale of perceived vulnerability to individual disease. It aims to explore the relationship between the vulnerability degree of individual disease and the level of in-group derogation.Study2:The experiment also grouped the subjects with the method of minimal group paradigm. The subjects then completed the preference task of target identity under different environments. It is to explore the relationship between the cue of extrinsic disease and the in-group derogation level.The results:Study1:The main effect of the target identity is significant, F (1,58)=4.44, p <0.05, η2=0.07(in-group:M=3.82, SD=1.18; out-group:M=4.17, SD=1.12). The main effect of the subjects’identity is not significant, F(1,58)=0.32, p>0.05, η2=0.006. The interaction effect of them is not significant, F(1,58)=0.001, p>0.05, η2=0.000. The correlation between the total score PVD and the extent of in-group derogation is significant, r=0.33, p<0.01; The correlation between the perceived vulnerability (factor1) and the degree of in-group derogation is extreme significant, r=0.39, p<0.01; The correlation between the germ aversion (factor2) and the degree of in-group derogation is extreme significant, r=0.39, p<0.01.Study2:The main effect of the subjects’identity is not significant, F(1,76)=2.81, p>0.05, η2=0.04. The main effect of the disease clues is extreme significant, F(1,76)=7.31, p<0.01, η2=0.09. The extent of the subjects’in-group derogation under the condition of disease (M=0.79, SD=0.69) is greater than the extent of which under the control environment (M=0.79, SD=0.69). The interaction effect is not significant, ,76)=1.23, p>0.05, η2=0.02.Conclusions:1. The greater the degree of individuals concern about the infection of disease, the more obvious the in-group derogation phenomenon will be.2. when an individual is under an environment susceptible to disease, the in-group derogation phenomenon is more obvious.3. the in-group derogation phenomenon is significantly related to the high disease threats level that the in-group members bring. Disease threats played a certain role in the formation of in-group derogation. When the disease threats present, the in-group derogation phenomenon is more obvious.