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Current Opinion in Psychology

Volume 11, October 2016, Pages 96-99
Current Opinion in Psychology

Relative deprivation and gratification elicit prejudice: research on the V-curve hypothesis

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.06.012Get rights and content

Highlights

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    Social comparison can reveal that one is relatively deprived or gratified.

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    Individual relative deprivation predicts individual-level outcomes (health problems).

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    Collective relative deprivation predicts group-level outcomes (prejudice).

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    Relative gratification also elicits prejudice, supporting the V-curve hypothesis.

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    Fear about future wealth is a mediator explaining the V-curve pattern.

We review research related to the role of social comparison in intergroup relations focusing on the effect of collective relative deprivation (when we are worse off than them) and relative gratification (when we are better off than them). As predicted by the V-curve model, there is increasing evidence to suggest that being worse-off than others (RD) and being better-off (RG) trigger similar consequences: an increase in intergroup prejudice and hostility. Group identification and pride as well as fear about future wealth are among the factors that are presently considered to account for these findings. A social-psychological analysis of group inequality that considers both deprivation and privilege can bring a renewed understanding of numerous social problems.

Introduction

A system of group-based inequality is a pervasive feature of life in modern societies [1]. Group inequality implies that some people are well off but others are worse off. As Powell, Branscombe and Schmitt [2] have pointed out: ‘inequality is inherently comparative’. At the societal level, economic inequality was shown to be associated with numerous social problems, regardless of absolute wealth. More inequality means more problems of violence, imprisonment, addiction, obesity and so on [3]. At the psychological level, decades of research on social comparison processes and relative deprivation suggest that, as an individual or as a group member, the sense that one is deprived or privileged can fundamentally depend on the reference standards that one uses [4, 5]. Rich people, according to some standards, may not feel that rich when compared with the super rich.

In this paper, we review important new developments in this area of research related to the V-curve hypothesis initially proposed by Grofman and Muller [6•]. This study was conducted in the midst of a period characterized by collective actions involving coercion and violence between groups. As noted by Grofman and Muller [6•], various versions of relative deprivation theory had suggested that people's readiness to engage in political violence was mainly caused by a discrepancy between a person's goal (or desired level of achievement) and his or her actual level of achievement. However, Grofman and Muller [6•] made a surprising observation: the potential for political violence was consistently higher for those “who perceive negative change (increasing discrepancy) and by individuals who perceive positive change (decreasing discrepancy)” (p. 514, emphasis in original). Whereas it is to be expected that those who experience a negative change in their standard of living would be more likely than others to protest, it is not so intuitive that those who experience an improvement would do the same.

This surprising result had only modest impact on the field and researchers continued their study of relative deprivation only [7]. However, in recent years, an increasing number of studies have been concerned with the issues raised by Grofman and Muller [6•]. We start by considering evidence related to the role of collective RD in the explanation of intergroup attitudes and behaviors. We then consider research that examined also the reverse, RG. We conclude with an assessment of the progress achieved so far and the questions that should be looked at in the future.

Section snippets

Relative deprivation

The concept of RD was first introduced by Stouffer [8] in a classic study of American soldiers. One major subsequent development was Crosby's [9] proposed model of egoistical relative deprivation, integrating correlational and experimental evidence related to several distinct theories all concerned with reactions to deprivation such as equity theory [10] and social comparison theory [11]. On the basis of available evidence, she suggests that four major sets of consequences can follow from RD:

Relative gratification: research on the V-curve

Whereas RD refers to situations when one is worse off in comparison with others or with the self over time [35], RG is a situation where one is better off in comparison with others or with the self over time [36]. Yet, systematic research investigating the impact of RG on intergroup relations only started recently. Following the correlational study of Grofman and Muller [6•], Guimond and Dambrun [37•] reported the results of two experiments contrasting the effects of three conditions on

Conclusions

When people compare themselves with others, or with themselves over time, they can feel relatively deprived. The feeling of injustice that can arise from unfavorable comparisons was the focus of research for over 50 years. As noted above, an important element of a collective psychology emerged from this research with the feelings of collective relative deprivation predicting intergroup attitudes and behaviors regardless of how individuals feel about their own individual situation. This stands

References and recommended reading

Papers of particular interest, published within the period of review, have been highlighted as:

  • • of special interest

  • •• of outstanding interest

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Pomseok Kang for his help in the preparation of this article. This research was supported by grant ANR-11-FRQU-004-01.

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