Intra-group typicality differences in instrumental negotiations : a motivated approach to perceived typicality of ingroup members

Intergroup negotiations appear as an exception to findings showing that in intergroup contexts ingroup members seek differentiation from outgroups by means of intragroup differentiation (Branscombe, et al, 1993). Some negotiations involve strategic settings in which the ingroup approaches the outgroup in order to get concessions. One way to do so is by decreasing intragroup differentiation and thereby moving the ingroup’s prototype closer to the outgroup. In two experiments, we hypothesize and show that instrumental intergroup negotiations lead to a reduction of the distinction made between the typicality of normative and pro-outgroup members. In addition, we show that this distinction surfaces again when a threat is introduced to this instrumental context, with normative group members being perceived as more typical than deviant ones. We discuss some implications of these results for intergroup relations and intergroup negotiations