Social Identity Theory Flashcards
What is social identity theory?
We need to feel good about ourselves so we need to feel good about the groups we belong to - self esteem
What is social categorisation?
Seeing yourself as part of a group
e.g. belonging to groups based on your gender, social class, religion, school, or friends
What is social identification?
Automatically perceive everyone else you meet as part of your ingroup or outgroup
You pay particular attention to ingroup members and adopt their values, attitudes, appearance, and behaviour
e.g. wearing a football shirt
What is social comparison?
Exaggerating differences between groups
Viewing your social identity as superior to others to boost self esteem
Leads to prejudice and if you have the power to influence the outgroup, it will lead to discrimination too
e.g. hating the other football team
What is negative out-group bias/denigration?
Putting down the other group
What is in-group favouritism?
Favouring your own group/viewing them more positively
How does Aronson’s report of Jane Elliot’s blue eyes brown eyes support social identity theory?
Categorised blue and brown eyes in students, blue eyes told they performed better on tests (identification), verbal and physical aggression towards other group (comparison)
Being put into a group can affect behaviour towards those not in that group
Why is social identity theory not a complete explanation?
Ignores individual differences e.g. authoritarian personality, only looks at situational factors
How does Sherif support social identity theory?
Boys categorised themselves as different, created identification to feel superior e.g. rattlers and eagles, burning down other team’s flag (comparison)
Being in a group can affect behaviour towards those not in the group
Why might realistic conflict theory be a better explanation than social identity theory?
Emphasises importance of competition between groups and how this intensifies prejudice whereas social identity theory says it is just group formation
Why is social identity useful for society?
Explains escalation of group behaviour to violence and indicates we need to break down categorisation and identification in order to prevent violence
e.g. preventing football match fans from sitting next to each other (reduces categorisation) and not being allowed to wear their strips (reducing identification)
Why does Sherif not support social identity theory?
Groups had competition present which may cause the conflict rather than just the existence of groups, when groups were broken down, prejudice wasn’t relieved, suggesting the need for super-ordinate goals
