This study aims to contribute to the ongoing debate on whether self-esteem plays a central role in discrimination by exploring its influence in discriminatory behaviors within cooperative contexts...Show moreThis study aims to contribute to the ongoing debate on whether self-esteem plays a central role in discrimination by exploring its influence in discriminatory behaviors within cooperative contexts under unequal conditions. We measured discrimination using the Unequal Prisoner's Dilemma Game in which participants from the USA and the UK (N=200) were tasked with allocating resources to both ingroup and outgroup members while assuming an advantaged (resources multiplied by 2.5) and a disadvantaged role (resources multiplied by 1.5). Subsequently, we measured their self-esteem. We tested an association between discrimination and self-esteem to explore three hypotheses: a) people with low self-esteem will discriminate more; b) people with low self-esteem will discriminate less; c) people with low self-esteem will discriminate in an all-or-nothing fashion. Our analyses found no support for these hypotheses, showing a lack of association between self-esteem and discrimination. Moreover, self-esteem was not associated with whether individuals discriminated in an all-or-nothing trend. In essence, our findings suggest that self-esteem is not significantly associated with discrimination in the context of cooperation under unequal settings. This evidence highlights the need for future research to explore other traits to identify the core origins of discrimination.Show less
