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ERIC Number: EJ1474663
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jun
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0175
EISSN: EISSN-2162-6057
Available Date: 2025-05-15
Examining Similarity-Attraction Principle and Intergroup Conflict on Malevolent Creativity Ideation
Alexis L. d'Amato1; Emma Theobald1; Madison N. Scott1; Joel S. Elson2; Samuel T. Hunter1
Journal of Creative Behavior, v59 n2 e70027 2025
Through the lens of the similarity-attraction principle, we conducted a pair of studies to examine how perceived physical similarity influences the role similarity and ingroup affinity drives malevolent creativity ideation. Study 1 (N = 305) participants were assigned to teams using the minimal group paradigm and then were given a social threat scenario by an avatar teammate of varying physical demographics (e.g., gender, race, age). Findings suggest that ingroup affinity and perceptions of physical dissimilarity motivate harmful ideas for retaliation against the threat. Study 2 (N = 73) used an existing conflict between rival university teams and presented participants with a social threat scenario. Participants interacted with a virtual avatar with varying degrees of similarity to themselves. Results indicate that ingroup favoritism motivated both original and harmful ideas, whereas dissimilarity with a teammate was a stronger predictor of harmful ideas than similarity. These findings are further discussed through the lens of balance theory and attitudinal similarity.
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: US Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 20STTPC0000103
Author Affiliations: 1Industrial and Organizational Psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, USA; 2Information Systems and Technology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, USA