Outgroups

If we believe that someone else is in a group to which we belong, we will have positive views of them and give them preferential treatment.   This works because we build our self-esteem through belonging, and the presence of someone from an in-group reminds us that we belong.   The opposite of in-group bias is an out-group type of bias where, by inference, out-group people just don’t belong.   I will have to admit that I scored in the low range on this assessment for including and/or giving special attention to the out-group.   While in middle school and high school, I was more cliquish.   As I have gotten older and been in various social situations, including work, I have found myself to want to include all.  
Honestly though, it is more difficult to associate with an individual of an out-group, for the mere reason of their being.   For instance, there was a gothic looking girl in high school that was into cutting herself and claimed the she was an atheist. I was nothing like that.   Her values and beliefs did not line up with mine at all.   Therefore, I did not include her and actually probably ignored her in class.   Also, I am quite social and I find it odd that people will have a difficult time communicating with the larger group at hand.   Or they might make some lunatic comment and just get a “what the heck are you talking about?” kind of look.  
  At that point, I have caught myself nodding and looking like I might agree with them.   I think that as I have gotten older that I have found myself being more sympathetic and not wanting anyone’s feelings to be hurt.   So by doing this, I might not really agree with what is being said or done, but yet I won’t just outright be disengaged from them or their conversation.
I substitute teach quite a bit at a middle school.   I find myself letting the not so popular or cutest dressed student hand out papers, hold the door, or run errands.   I think this could be associated to building a special relationship as mentioned in...