心理学报2025，Vol.57Issue(9)：1638-1648,11.DOI:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2025.1638
"我们大,你们小":内外群体与大小空间的联结
"We are big,you are small":The association between in-group/out-group categorization and space size
摘要
Abstract
In everyday life,individuals categorize themselves and others into social groups,forming in-group and out-group identities that can lead to stereotypes,prejudice,and intergroup conflict.Understanding the mechanisms behind this categorization is crucial for mitigating its negative consequences.Recent research in embodied cognition reveals a bidirectional relationship between social categorization and embodied metaphors,showing that metaphorical manipulations can inhibit negative stereotypes and prejudice.While in-group/out-group categorization is a key aspect of social categorization,its embodied basis has not yet been examined.This study investigates the association between in-group/out-group categorization and the embodied metaphor of spatial size through a series of three experiments. Experiment 1(n=55)employed a placement task to examine whether in-group/out-group categorization(own school vs.other school)was linked to spatial size.Experiments 2a(n=36)and 2b(n=34)assessed size perception when participants were primed with in-group versus out-group identities.Experiments 3a(n=34),3b(n=40),and 3c(n=39)utilized a reaction-time paradigm to further test this association across different bases of categorization(school membership,regional identity,and minimal group assignment). Results revealed that participants placed in-group targets in larger squares compared to out-group targets(Experiment 1).Participants primed with in-group identities perceived objects as larger than those primed with out-group identities(Experiment 2).Reaction times were faster when group identity was congruent with the spatial size metaphor,regardless of the basis of categorization(Experiment 3).These findings demonstrate a consistent association between in-group/out-group categorization and the embodied metaphor of spatial size,which is linked to positive in-group identification.This study advances our understanding of the cognitive processes underlying social categorization and provides practical insights for mitigating intergroup bias and conflict.关键词
内群体/外群体/空间大小/社会认同/具身认知Key words
in-group/out-group/spatial size/social identity/embodied cognition分类
社会科学引用本文复制引用
张晓斌,李欣璐,马梓耀,代璐瑶,施泳霖,佐斌.."我们大,你们小":内外群体与大小空间的联结[J].心理学报,2025,57(9):1638-1648,11.基金项目
国家自然科学基金(31760287)、陕西省自然科学基金(2022JM-122)、中央高校基本科研业务费专项资金一般项目(24ZYYB015)、高等学校学科创新引智基地(B25068)资助. （31760287）
