Self-directed negative affect: the distinct roles of ingroup identification and outgroup derogation

Prior research has shown that negative affect directed at the self follows from intergroup
evaluation. Building on social identity theory, we hypothesized that ingroup identification
impacts on felt self-directed negative affect after making intergroup differentiating
evaluations. Additionally, prior work has demonstrated that people downgrade the outgroup
to the extent that they identify with the ingroup. Accordingly, building on previous work on
the so-called positive-negative asymmetry in intergroup discrimination, we expected that
outgroup derogation but not ingroup favoritism would mediate the hypothesized affective
impact of ingroup identification. Results indicated support for both predictions. These
findings add to previous work by tracing the sources of self-directed negative affect in
striving of group members for positive social identity through the process of establishing
intergroup differentiation.