Gone but not Forgotten: Loyalty and Betrayal among Ex-Members of Small Groups
Laboratory groups were formed, given an engaging task to perform, and then dissolved into new, smaller groups. Each of those groups produced an art poster. Every poster was then evaluated, first by the group itself and then by another group whose members came from the same source group (ingroup exchange) or from a different source group (outgroup exchange). Posters were evaluated more generously when ingroup rather than outgroup exchanges were made, especially when identification with the source group was strong. Every group later received the same negative evaluation of its poster, apparently from its exchange partner. This (bogus) criticism was more upsetting when in-group rather than outgroup exchanges were made, especially when identification with the source group was strong. These findings were discussed and several ideas for future studies of loyalty and betrayal were offered.