Resistant versus acquiescent responses to ingroup inferiority as a function of social dominance orientation in the USA and Italy

Social identity theory typically emphasizes how low status group members resist and challenge imputation of interiority (Tajfel & Turner, 1979), whereas system justification theory emphasizes the tendency to accept and justify status hierarchies (Jost & Banaji, 1994). On the theoretical assumption that responses to ingroup inferiority would vary according to individual differences in social dominance orientation (SDO) we predicted and found in two studies that low SDO members of low status group engage in resistance and social competition as social identity would predict , whereas high SDO members follow system justifying patterns of acquiescence and even active bolsteringof the status quo. The fact that studies were conducted in two cultures (USA and Italy) that differ with regard to hierarchical traditions and beliefs about social mobility increases the generalizability of the results and strengthen the conclusion that SDO predicts acquiscent vs resistant responses to ingroup inferiority.