Social media content that "dunks on" an opposing group is 67% more likely to be shared. This virality is driven by in-group reinforcement, not by persuading outsiders. The platform's algorithm rewards and encourages this divisive behavior.
The Klee/Kandinsky study shows people favor their "in-group" even when assigned randomly. More surprisingly, they will accept less for their own group if it means the "out-group" gets even less, prioritizing the *difference* over absolute gain.
A study found people rated the same t-shirt as more disgusting when they believed it belonged to a rival university. This shows our in-group/out-group biases can fundamentally alter basic sensory experiences like smell, not just abstract beliefs.
While nudging people to focus on accuracy can reduce misinformation sharing for many, new data suggests this approach is ineffective for those with extreme political identities. For these individuals, the need to protect their group identity is stronger than the motivation to be accurate.
A large-scale study in Chicago found that Black and Hispanic police officers made fewer stops and arrests and used force less often, particularly when interacting with Black civilians. This provides empirical evidence that increasing diversity in policing directly changes officer behavior.
For some people with anxiety, playing a scary video game provides an appropriate outlet for panic. The game creates a bounded, controllable environment where anxiety "makes sense," allowing them to process the emotion and feel relief. The fear becomes purposeful.
A study in April 2020 found that people who regularly consumed frightening media scored better on resilience measures. Their history of engaging with simulated threats appears to provide practice in emotional regulation, helping them cope with the uncertainty of a real-world crisis.
Studies show Yankees fans perceive Boston's Fenway Park as physically closer than it is, and people threatened by immigration see Mexico City as closer. This demonstrates that psychological threats from out-groups can warp our fundamental perception of distance.
Body cameras don't resolve police-civilian disputes because viewers' group identities determine what they see. Jurors identifying with police focus on the suspect's faults, while others focus on the officer's, leading to opposite conclusions from the same footage.
Not all horror fans seek an adrenaline rush. "White Knucklers" enjoy the feeling of *overcoming* fear, not the fear itself. "Dark Copers" use the genre to process difficult emotions like anxiety and depression. This typology reveals the diverse psychological needs that scary media fulfill.
When Muslim soccer star Mo Salah joined Liverpool, hate crimes in the area dropped 16% and anti-Muslim tweets from fans fell by half. By becoming a beloved "in-group" hero, Salah changed the group's norms to be more inclusive of his religion.