Differential Interaction and the Perception of Variability Between Groups
Date
1991
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Haverford College. Department of Psychology
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Thesis
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Award
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eng
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Haverford users only
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Abstract
Past research has shown that people perceive more variability in groups of which they are a part than groups of which they are not members. It has also been shown that differences in frequency and closeness of contact are highly correlated with this difference in perceived variability. A study was done to explore the hypothesis that subjects would perceive more variability in their own group than they would in an outgroup, and that frequency and closeness of contact would be correlated with this difference in perceived variability. An extensive questionnaire with two sections addressing character items and two sections addressing intergroup contact was given to fifty-seven Bryn Mawr and Haverford College students. It was found that, even though there was a significant difference in both frequency and closeness of contact between ingroup and outgroup members, there was no difference in the perception of group variability. This suggests that there is something wrong with the variability items, the populations used are skewed by social circumstances, and/or that the theory in general is too broad.