Social neuroscience of intergroup dynamics
| Author(s) | Venezia, Samuel A. | |
| Date Accessioned | 2025-07-01T15:51:20Z | |
| Date Available | 2025-07-01T15:51:20Z | |
| Publication Date | 2025 | |
| SWORD Update | 2025-06-05T22:15:04Z | |
| Abstract | Tajfel and Turner’s Social Identity Theory characterizes how individuals form ingroups and outgroups and how affinity to one’s ingroup and degradation of outgroups contribute to the formation of intergroup biases. Research, including neuroimaging studies, examining intergroup dynamics have primarily used face stimuli, potentially overlooking meaningful information gleaned from social interactions. As such, this dissertation uses fMRI to examine the neural correlates of intergroup processing of complex depictions of affiliative and aversive social behaviors. Study 1A curated stimuli depicting affiliative social interactions (i.e., perceived Black, Interracial, and White couples). Study 1B curated stimuli depicting aversive social interactions (i.e., depictions of violence toward Black or White victims) and depictions of mundane social interactions. Study 2 focused on brain regions supporting affiliative intergroup evaluations and salience processing among a sample of self-identified White Americans (n = 49). Results found greater activity in regions supporting positive evaluations (i.e., OFC, NACC) and salience (amygdala, AI) toward depictions of Interracial couples relative to depictions of perceived Black or perceived White couples. This suggests that while perceivers may view Interracial couples as more salient compared to White or Black couples, they also evaluated them more positively. Study 3 examined brain regions supporting mentalizing (i.e., STS, TPJ) and aversion (AI) while processing aversive intergroup behaviors using the same sample as Study 2. Results found greater activity in the STS and AI toward the mundane scenes relative to depictions of White victims. Between violent conditions, results found more activity in the AI, suggesting more aversive responses to depictions of an outgroup member being harmed. There was also greater activity in the TPJ to depictions of Black victims relative to White victims, suggesting that perceivers engaged in more effortful mentalizing toward Black relative to White victims. Results from Studies 2 and 3 are further discussed relative to their implications for intergroup impression formation and intergroup bias for existing work rooted in Social Identity Theory. | |
| Advisor | Kubota, Jennifer T. | |
| Advisor | Cloutier, Jasmin | |
| Degree | Ph.D. | |
| Department | University of Delaware, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences | |
| Unique Identifier | 1526535243 | |
| URL | https://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/36307 | |
| Language | en | |
| Publisher | University of Delaware | |
| URI | https://www.proquest.com/pqdtlocal1006271/dissertations-theses/social-neuroscience-intergroup-dynamics/docview/3217283810/sem-2?accountid=10457 | |
| Keywords | Intergroup bias | |
| Keywords | Social Identity Theory | |
| Keywords | Social neuroscience | |
| Keywords | Violence | |
| Keywords | Brain regions | |
| Title | Social neuroscience of intergroup dynamics | |
| Type | Thesis |