ABSTRACT
Group membership shapes the way we perceive and interpret our social world. Knowing which group a person belongs to, and whether he or she is “one of us” or “one of them”, provides us with heuristics on how to give meaning to certain events, and on what to expect in the further interaction. This should definitely also apply to the way we perceive and react in aggressive interactions. For example, imagine a soccer fan standing in line to get into the soccer arena. All of a sudden somebody from behind bumps into him, and a moment later he feels a substantial amount of liquid running down his back. Instantaneously, our soccer fan turns around and sees a guy behind him, who is holding a beer glass that is half empty. Will it matter whether our soccer fan identifies the source of his trouble as a supporter of his own team, or as a supporter of the other team? Will he be more convinced that the others had bad intentions, will he be more angry, and will he choose a more destructive reaction when facing an outgroup member rather than an ingroup member?
