Experimental analysis of simple and pyramidal categorization processes

Abstract

The study analysed a particular type of social categorization: pyramidal categorization. In the experiment, 64 pupils were divided into two groups: 32 pupils performed a simple categorization process and the other 32 a pyramidal categorization process. The findings corroborated classical results for the simple categorization, indicating that the subjects enhanced the value of their group at the expense of other groups, which they rejected without making any distinction between them. Some characteristic effects linked to the pyramidal categorization were also observed.