Research Information System
Thesis Type: Postgraduate
Institution Of The Thesis: Bursa Uludağ University, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Psychology, Turkey
Approval Date: 2023
Thesis Language: Turkish
Student: ÖMER TOPUZ
Principal Supervisor (For Co-Supervisor Theses): Fatih Özdemir
Co-Supervisor: Ahmet Çoymak
Abstract:
*The information contained in this summary may be subject to change. Please contact the authors to verify the current version before using it.
Inter-group relations have witnessed conflicts between different ethnic (e.g., Kurdish-Turkish), sectarian (e.g., Alevi-Sunni), political (e.g., Right-Left), and similar identity groups (Çoymak et al., 2020: 1). The root cause of these conflicts lies in the competition between groups over limited resources, social and political demands, and a desire for equality. Social psychology literature suggests that individuals tend to exhibit ingroup favoritism, which means that they tend to compete with outgroups based on their group memberships (Hornsey, 2008: 206; Tajfel and Turner, 1979: 33). However, it is difficult to assume that individuals will always act in ways that sustain inter-group conflicts and competition (Jost and Banaji, 1994: 2). In other words, it is possible to argue that individuals mostly support the status quo and have a belief in a just system (Jost, Banaji, and Nosek, 2004: 887). Therefore, it is possible to talk about situations where individuals have positive attitudes towards outgroup members who share a common, fair system (Dunham, Baron, and Banaji, 2006: 1273; Nosek, Banaji, and Greenwald, 2002). Outgroup favoritism, which refers to the positive attitudes and evaluations that an individual has towards members of other groups, has many real-life counterparts (Jost, 2001: 91). For example, women may adopt sexist attitudes and tend to favor men, even though an unjust patriarchal system does not contain positive outcomes for them (Jost, 2001: 90). It is an important question why individuals perceive the world they live in as legitimate and just and exhibit positive attitudes towards outgroups, despite facing many situations that do not seem fair or legitimate (Jost, 2001: 90).
Different theories and approaches that examine the nature of inter-group relations provide different answers to when and why outgroup favoritism occurs and what motivates it (Jost and Banaji, 1994: 10; Tajfel and Turner, 1979: 37). In this thesis, the psychological mechanisms that constitute the reasons for outgroup favoritism will be examined. During this examination, the fundamental assumptions and psychological motivations put forward by the Social Identity Theory, the System Justification Theory, and the Shared Reality Theory will be used as the framework of the study.
The first section of the study outlines the theoretical framework. The Social Identity Theory, the System Justification Theory, and the Shared Reality Theory are introduced, and then how these theories evaluate the phenomenon of outgroup favoritism is discussed.
The second section provides information on the research method. The study's purpose and hypotheses, participants' demographic characteristics, and the measurement tools used in the study are presented. Additionally, the experimental design and the study's procedure are explained.