Group entitativity, cohesion, and intergroup prejudice reduction

Group processes are often dependent upon a group's entitativity. This term refers to the group's unity and cooperation in terms of various factors. These factors are connected to the variety of reasons why group members would choose to belong to a certain group. Furthermore, the nature of some groups offer a greater degree of choice than others. A group of students in a classroom are for example in that group as a result of their choice of study direction rather than the other persons in the group. Group members may also choose a group because of its specific moral or psychological focus, such as Christian prayer groups.

Factors such as proximity, similarity, interdependence and ongoing interaction then encourages group processes that result in group cohesion. In some groups, this can be potentially dangerous in terms of perceived volition. In these terms, certain groups may be perceived by outsiders as a single entity harboring hostile intent. This may lead to conflict that could have been avoided by critical thinking and communication.

A study by Turner, Hewstone and Voci (2007) suggests that this hostility might be mitigated by cross-group friendship. The study was performed on groups of White and South Asian students, and showed that cross-group friendships provided a platform for reducing out-group prejudice and perceived hostility among these groups.