Chapter 5. Part 2

1. Chapter 5. Part 2 Self-Knowledge. Social identity

2. Social identity : “ individual’s knowledge that he belongs to certain social groups together with some emotional and value significance to him of this group membership” (Tejfel, 1972 p. 292).

3. Social Identity • There is a social identity for every major social role-set in a society. • social identities: • 1.      family identities • 2.      religious identities • 3.      gender identities • 4.      ethnic identities • 5.      occupational identities • 6.      nationality

4. Social categorization Theory (Tajfel) • People have an innate and strong tendency to mentally organize things and people (including themselves) into categories.

5. Minimal group paradigm • People are arbitrary categorized into two groups. They then allocate resources between anonymous members of their or another group. • Results: • Discrimination • ingroup favoritism. • Outgroup homogeneity

6. Social Identity TheoryTajfel & Turner (1979): • First, Social Identity Theory recognizes the importance and ubiquity of categorization • To the extent that we associate ourselves with groups (i.e. categorize ourselves), we have social identities • Social identities (via our group memberships) are important aspects of how we define ourselves. • Ingroup becomes part of ourselves.

7. Role of Social Identity • Social identities also dictate our perceptions of members of our “ingroups” as… • Similar to us, at least on the dimension that defines the group, and other positive attributes • And yet diverse (ingroup heterogeneity) • And social identities serve to distinguish us and those in our ingroup from members of outgroups.

8. Social Identity • Effects of depersonalization • If self-categorization is salient at a particular level (European), self-categorization at the lower level (British) becomes less salient.

9. Social Identity and Social Comparison • Social Identity Theory extends the concept of social comparison to groups: • To the extent that we identify with a group • When we compare our group to “better” groups • Our group-esteem suffers, and… • Consequently, our self-esteem suffers (by association) • When we compare our group to “worse” groups • Our group-esteem improves, and… • Consequently, our self-esteem improves (by association) • Consequently, to the extent that we identify with groups that are valued (e.g., powerful, prestigious, high status, popular), we’ll feel good about ourselves.

10. Social Identity • Conclusions: • Group identification is a necessary consequence of our common practice of categorization (and self-categorization) • Personal self-esteem is affected by the esteem of ingroups • We seek to enhance ingroup esteem (and consequently self-esteem) by maximizing downward social comparisons and minimizing upward social comparisons • We’re creative about achieving this goal: • Compare on ingroup’s strongest dimensions • Distort perceptions of outgroups and ingroup • Promote our ingroup • Hinder outgroups • When necessary, we disidentify with ingroup

11. Functions of Social Identity • Turner’s Social Identity Theory. • (Self-esteem and self-enhancement motive) • When we are unable to build high self-esteem from our own achievements, we can use the group achievements instead. • I.e. people want to belong to “positive” groups

12. Functions of Social Identity • Uncertainty-Reduction Theory (Abrams & Hogg) • Uncertainty-reduction motive. • We join groups to achieve the feeling of certainty (Who am I?). • More uncertainty – more distinctive groups (extremist)

13. Functions of Social Identity • Terror-Management Theory (Greenberg, Solomon, & Pyszczynski) • People are the only creatures who aware of their own inevitable death. • This awareness creates anxiety that has to be controlled. • Group membership – a way to achieve symbolic immortality.

14. Terror-Management theory:Experimental evidence • After a “mortality salience” procedure • People reported feeling more similarity to their group. • Rated the pro-American author more positively.

15. Functions of Social Identity • Optimal-Distinctiveness Theory (M. Brewer) • People want to maintain a balance between similarity to other people and individuality from other people. • The identity people feel to a particular group depends on how unique or not-unique they experience in the given moment.

16. Optimal-Distinctiveness Theory: Experimental evidence • Procedure: • Task: Choose your favorite object out of three given (several times) • Unique condition: 3 confederates disagree. • Similar condition: 3 confederates agree. • DV: The degree of similarity to their ingroups. • Results: More similarity was reported in the “unique” condition.

17. West Independent vies of the self defining oneself in terms of one’s own internal thoughts, feelings, and actions East Interdependent view of the self defining oneself in terms of relationships to other people Cultural differences in defining the self

18. Cultural differences in defining the self Western culture: Independent self - separate from others Eastern culture: Interdependent self - roles and groups part of self

19. Trafimow and colleagues (1991) • Chinese and American participants • Participants completed sentences beginning with „I am...“ • Result: • Americans wrote traits • I am shy • I am intelligent • Chinese wrote group memberships • I am a college student • I am a daughter

20. Men Collective interdependence focus on larger social groups Women Relational interdependence focus on close relationship Gender differences in defining the self