Out-group homogeneity effects in natural and minimal groups

Abstract

This article reviews literature relevant to the out-group homogeneity effect. The review assesses whether the effect emerges in both natural- and minimal-group contexts. Data relevant to the out-group homogeneity effect are examined for 3 types of dependent measures. Whereas strong support for the effect is obtained across all measures in natural-group settings, no consistent effect is observed in minimal-group settings. Some theories (need-based motives, salience of self, and generalized homogeneity beliefs) predict the occurrence of the effect in both natural and minimal groups, whereas others (group-specific homogeneity beliefs and information encoding and retrieval) predict the occurrence of the effect only for natural groups. The question of whether conditions exist under which the out-group homogeneity effect can be produced in the minimal-group setting is addressed.