Case file
Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
- Filed under
- Not Enough Meaning
- Also recorded as
- outgroup homogeneity effect
The charge
Out-group homogeneity bias is seeing people outside your group as more similar to each other than they really are.
How it operates
You have richer, more differentiated mental models for your own group than for outsiders.
Logged incidents
- Incident 01
A U.S. team says all EMEA customers want discounts.
- Incident 02
Engineering says legal always says no.
- Incident 03
A hiring panel treats candidates from the same non-target school as interchangeable.
What to watch for
Ask: Am I collapsing a diverse outside group into one generic type?
Recommended action
Force subgroup breakdowns and deliberately collect examples of variation within the out-group.
Known associates
- Cross-Race EffectCross-race effect is the tendency to be worse at distinguishing faces of races one has had less experience…
- In-Group FavoritismIn-group favoritism is preferring, trusting, or rewarding people seen as part of your own group.
- Halo EffectHalo effect is when one positive trait or first impression spills over into unrelated judgments about the…
- Cheerleader EffectCheerleader effect is the tendency for people to seem more attractive or appealing when seen in a group than…
- Positivity EffectPositivity effect is giving relatively more weight to positive information or memories than negative ones,…
- Not Invented HereNot invented here is rejecting outside ideas or solutions mainly because they came from outside the group.
Source of record