Ingroup Bias and Collective Self-esteem of Chinese International Students

This paper explores the psychological transformation among Chinese students studying internationally in the U.S., focusing on ingroup bias and collective self-esteem. Grounded in the "minority stress theory," we hypothesize that international students display a higher ingroup bias and collective self-esteem, serving as a coping strategy to perceived unwelcome experiences and cultural shifts. The experimental approach compared Chinese students studying abroad in the U.S. and domestic students in China, using tasks centered around the minimal group paradigm, and assessed their group identification, resource allocation, and collective self-esteem. And the results revealed that international students displayed a notable ingroup bias and heightened collective self-esteem when compared to domestic students in China. This suggests that international students might utilize their ingroup affiliation as a buffer against cultural adversities and a source of self-esteem.