Psychology
The Psychology of Prejudice and Intergroup Conflict Reduction
Quick fact
Even being randomly assigned to a meaningless group—like preferring one abstract painter over another—causes people to favor their own group and discriminate against the other, a finding known as the minimal group paradigm.
Why this is interesting
We all categorize people instantly into 'us' and 'them.' But why does this simple mental shortcut sometimes ignite conflict—and what actually works to break the cycle?