SIT (Social identity theory) Flashcards
why do humans form social groups?
because humans are social animals that have a need to belong. Groups are so important for defining the self and boosting our self-esteem, that we need to see them as attractive and successful.
what is social identity?
the self in terms of our group membership such as our gender
what is personal identity?
the self on a more individual, private and interpersonal view
what does it mean when our “social selves” become more salient?
we become more aware of that aspect of our identity.
what are the three psychological mechanisms the SIT is based on?
social categorization
social identification
social comparison
what is social categorazation?
when individuals classify themselves and others into groups, based on characteristics. In this way, the social environment is divided into “in-groups” (“us”) and “out-groups” (“them”).
what is social identification?
the collective interpretation that we share with members of each group that we belong to. It refers to the process of adopting the norms and characteristics of our “in-group”.
what is social comparison?
when individuals compare their “in-group” to their “out-group” and see the traits of one’s own group as positive and the out-group as inferior, this raises a sense of self-esteem.
what does social comparison lead to?
positive distinctiveness
what is positive distinctiveness?
a need to show that our in-group is better than the out-group. It helps individuals to maintain a positive social identity, which in turn also allows individuals to maintain positive self-esteem.
what are the two ways positive distinctiveness can be achieved?
Through in-group favoritism
Through out-group discrimination
what is in-group favoritism?
when group members are favored and / or seen in a more positive light. Behavior is biased toward the benefit of the in-group.
what is out-group discrimination?
when out-group members are viewed as having more negative characteristics.
what are two studies that investigate the SIT ?
Abrams
Drury
what was the aim of Abrams?
to determine if in-group identity would affect one’s willingness to conform
what paradigm was used in the procedure of Abrams?
the Asch paradigm
what was the out-group and what was thein-group in the study of Abrams?
in-group: psychology students
out-group: history students
what was the IV and the DV of Abrams?
IV: when out-group members are viewed as having more negative characteristics.
DV: whether participants will conform to the erroneous judgment or not.
what were the results of Abrams?
77% of all participants conformed to the erroneous confederate judgment on at least one trial.
participants conformed more often when they believed the confederates were from their in-group
what is the aim of Drury?
investigate the role of SIT on prosocial behavior
what were the two conditions in Drury?
the group-identification condition
the individual-identification condition
what were the results of Drury?
participants with a high in-group identification gave more help and pushed others less than did those who did not have in-group identification, therefore showing prosocial behavior.
