Social Identity Theory Flashcards
What is social identification?
Involves the individual adopting the beliefs, values and attitudes of the groups to which they see themselves belonging.
They will also alter their behaviour to fit with the norms of the group.
What does social identification include a shift in and involve?
What may follow this
The persons thinking and involves a change to their self-concept as a new social identity is formed.
Once this process has occurred, social comparison may follow.
What is a social comparison?
When an individual may boost their self esteem through making comparisons between the in group and out group
What is self-esteem?
The value attached to your self concept.
High self esteem means you feel good about yourself.
How does social comparison work?
We may perceive the in group as superior, exaggerating their successes and attributing such successes in innate ability. Whereas the out group are seen as inferior and their achievements are criticised unfairly and seen as being caysed by external factors.
If in group members are seen as better, then us as an in group must also be better. We are therefore motivated to perceive our in group in a positive light (in group favouritism) and this can be enhances further by seeing the out group in unfavourable terms (out group negative bias)
What is ‘question for positive distinctiveness’ ?
The desire to see the ingroup as different and better.
Differences between groups are emphasised and similarities minimised.
What may these cognitive processes (social comparison) lead to?
Discrimination between in group and out group members, meaning not only do we think about out group members differently, we may also treat them differently.
Example of in group favouritism and out group negative bias
Lalonde (1992)
He studies a hockey team that was performing badly.
-The team members knew that the other teams were doing better than them, but said they were dirtier in their tactics.
-They claimed moral superiority,which was in-group
-when lalonde watched the marchers, he decided that the other teams were no ‘dirtier’
This shows he found an in group bias.
Describe Minimal group studies
-The theory was based on a series of lab experiments called the minimal group studies.
-They were called this because the grounds which the participants would see them selves as belonging to one group or another were minimal (by the toss of a coin or which painting their preferred)
-There were no real reason for feeling you were part of that group.
What is prejudice?
An attitude that predisposes us to think, feel and perceive in favourable or unfavourable ways towards a group of it individual members.
What are the three types elements of prejudice?
Cognitive
Affective
Behavioural
What if the cognitive element of prejudice?
Involves the believes held about the group. These believes will be in the form of stereotypes, common but overt simple views of what a particular group of people are like.
What is the affective element of prejudice?
Involves the feelings experienced in response to the group. If we are prejudiced against a group we at experience anger, fear, hate or disgust when we encounter a member of that group.
What is the behavioural element of prejudice?
This consists of our actions towards the object of the prejudice.
Behaving differently towards people based on their membership of a group is called discrimination. Our actions against members of a gerontology, against which we hold a prejudge, can range from avoidance and verbal criticism to mass extermination.
What is discrimination?
Treating people differently according to their group membership
Tajfel and turner (1979) what did they argue?
That our self concept is made up of many social identities.
That categorisation is a basic characteristic of human thought and as such we have little control over this automatic starting process.
They argue that the mere existence of an out-group is enough to bring about prejudice and discrimination between them and us.
What does tajfel and turners theory suggest?
That humans have a strong desire to belong and that we desire self-esteem through group members and the acceptance of others.
What is most of our social behaviour driven by?
The motivation to maintain a positive sense of self as a valued member of the group.
The two groups tajfel and turner refer to
In group-we belong to
Out group- the rest
What is social categorisation?
Refers to the separation of individuals into one of these two groups.
The in group is the groups to which we see ourselves as belonging in and the out frozen comprises anyone who is not apart of the in group.
