Asymmetrical balance between the real-world group and the minimal group

Although intergroup bias has been extensively investigated, the dynamic nature of group identity in changing contexts remains not fully considered. We hypothesize that an individual’s group identity flows with changing contexts. To test this hypothesis, we designed three experiments at different levels: (1) mere memberships without context, (2) identity-primed context, and (3) identity-dissolved context. Additionally, we aimed to answer how minimal group identities impact real-world group identities (Dunham, 2018). We grouped children from the same class into different teams and from different classes into the same team, then assessed how 5-year-olds allocated resources as group affiliations shifted from established real-world class groups to defined minimal groups. In the zero-context condition (Experiment 1), children allocated more resources to their familiar outgroup classmates than to unfamiliar ingroup peers. However, when the ingroup member needed a resource while the outgroup classmate merely wanted it, 5-year-olds preferred to help their unfamiliar ingroup members over their familiar classmates (Experiment 2). To exclude the influence of sympathy, we removed minimal group membership in Experiment 3 and found that 5-year-olds reverted to favoring their familiar classmates, even when unfamiliar peers had greater needs. Our findings provided evidence that group identity is fluid and adapts to changing contexts.