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.