loutgroup

Loutgroup is not a standard term in sociology or psychology. In most contexts, it is a misspelling or typographical error for "outgroup," a concept in social identity theory. The outgroup refers to any group with which an individual does not identify, and toward which the individual’s own group has no or minimal identity. The distinction between in-group and out-group underpins many theories of social cognition and intergroup relations.

In general, people categorize others into ingroups and outgroups, which can influence perception, memory, and behavior. Outgroup members may be perceived as more homogeneous than ingroup members (outgroup homogeneity effect), and prejudice or discrimination can arise from perceived threats to the ingroup’s status or resources. The minimal group paradigm shows that group distinctions—even artificial or trivial ones—can produce ingroup favoritism and outgroup bias.

Practically, the term loutgroup should be corrected to outgroup to avoid confusion. In scholarly writing, precise terminology is important to accurately describe social dynamics. When used in non-academic contexts, "outgroup" typically denotes any set of people not belonging to one’s own group, including rival communities, political rivals, or unfamiliar social categories.

See also: ingroup, outgroup, social identity theory, in-group bias, prejudice, discrimination, outgroup homogeneity.