Abstract
This thesis reports research assessing the relative contribution subjective belonging and personal self-esteem make to our understanding of in-group favouritism. This was achieved by testing whether: (a) the expression of in-group favouritism led to increased subjective belonging and personal self-esteem (Studies 1-3) and (b) threatened subjective belonging and self-esteem (manipulated via ostracism) led to in-group favouritism (Study 3). In Study 1, women who showed in-group favouritism reported increases in subjective belonging and personal self-esteem. In Study 2, minimal group members, and Study 3, New Zealanders, who showed in-group favouritism reported increases in subjective belonging only. A positive relationship between in-group favouritism and enhanced subjective belonging was found in each study. Moreover, in all instances the association between in-group favouritism and enhanced subjective belonging was independent of personal self-esteem. No evidence was found to suggest that threatened belonging and personal self-esteem were associated with in-group favouritism. Together these findings make two important contributions. The first is that the respective associations between in-group favouritism and enhanced subjective belonging and personal self-esteem can be distinguished. The second is that, in-group favouritism is more consistently associated with enhanced subjective belonging than is personal self-esteem. The ramifications of these findings are discussed