When I becomes we: Associative self-anchoring drives implicit intergroup bias in minimal groups

Preference for in-groups over out-groups (intergroup bias) is a general and robust phenomenon. The personal self has been theorized to be a source of intergroup bias. In two studies, participants were categorized randomly without any-not even simulated-trait-based similarity between the personal self and the in-group. Findings demonstrate that the interplay of implicit personal self-esteem and group identification (i.e., associative self-anchoring) relates to implicit intergroup bias. We suggest that associative self-anchoring can be a process that establishes a balance between the concept of the self, the group, and traits.