Individualism–collectivism and intergroup bias

The current article offers a focused review of the link between individualism-collectivism (Ind-Col) and intergroup bias. Despite the mutual relationship between culture and social groups, there remains a dearth of research that specifies cultural influence on intergroup behavior in general and intergroup favoritism in particular. Moreover, there is much confusion in the literature as to the role of Ind-Col in the emergence and manifestation of intergroup bias. The confusion has been aggravated by the simplistic assumption that equates collectivism with the social identity processes that lead to undesirable consequences in intergroup settings. Drawing on the previous work that examined how Ind-Col relates to intergroup bias at multiple levels, this review challenges the widely held expectation that collectivism is a conduit to various forms of intergroup bias and calls for research that takes into account the diverse viewpoints about the nature of group processes and intergroup behavior across cultures.