Zero-sum in the classroom: A within groups analysis of perceptions of inter-group conflict and bias

Zero-sum beliefs are believed to underlie perceptions of incompatibility between groups. It is of interest to the researcher to empirically verify whether construals of intergroup relations actually incorporate biases that can be interpreted as zero-sum. Borrowing from the minimal groups research, a 10 item hypothetical allocation task was used to measure tendencies for perceiving situations as zero-sum. The participants were asked to allocate between teachers and students in two conditions which they underwent consecutively: (A) apportion goods/liabilities from the point of view of students and (B) apportion goods/liabilities from the point of view of teachers. 185 college students, mostly male, were sampled. Using criteria based on assumptions of the nature of zero-sum response patterns, and only when taking into account A and B task differences. Implications for the analysis of intergroup relations and relevance of the findings to contemporary theories such as social dominance theory (SDT) are discussed.