The Downside of Being Up: A New Look at Group Relative Gratification and Traditional Prejudice

In two experiments, we examine the moderating effect of the legitimacy and the stability of the advantaged in-group status on the relationship between measures of group relative gratification (GRG) and traditional prejudice among members of a structurally advantaged group. In Study 1, 133 participants learned that their advantaged in-group status was based on legitimate or illegitimate grounds. As expected, when participants learned of the legitimate status of their in-group, GRG was associated with the endorsement of traditional prejudice. In Study 2, 188 participants learned that their advantaged in-group status was expected to remain stable or to fluctuate. As predicted, when participants were alerted to the decline in the privileged status of the in-group, GRG was positively associated with traditional prejudice. These findings illuminate the ways in which members of advantaged groups perpetuate intergroup inequities and point to a fuller, more nuanced conceptualization of system stability.