The Impact of Intergroup Collaboration on In‐Group Bias Between Rohingya Refugee and Bangladeshi Host Community Children
Published online on June 16, 2026
Abstract
["Developmental Science, Volume 29, Issue 4, July 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\n\nIn‐group bias is a barrier to cooperation between groups, particularly between refugee and host community members, where intergroup conflict can lead to discrimination and exclusion from essential resources. We investigated whether in‐group bias exists between Rohingya refugee and Bangladeshi host community children (N = 481, 50.1% female, 5–10 years of age), and whether a brief, virtual collaboration with an out‐group peer would reduce bias. We found that children from both communities exhibited robust in‐group preferences and bias was stronger in the host community on several measures. Furthermore, the experience of virtual collaboration with an out‐group peer did not impact in‐group bias on any of the measures. While we did not find a reduction in in‐group bias following virtual intergroup collaboration, our findings underscore the importance of continued research on bias‐reduction interventions among refugee and host community children.\n\n\nSummary\n\nChildren from both Rohingya refugee and Bangladeshi host communities exhibited robust in‐group bias.\nIn‐group bias was stronger among host community children and tended to increase with age.\nA brief virtual collaboration with an out‐group peer did not reduce in‐group bias between children from Rohingya refugee and Bangladeshi host communities.\n\n\n"]