Social Identity Theory

Question 1

What does the theory suggest?

Answer 1

That people wish to promote their in-group over the out-group. This may mean putting the out-group down.

Question 2

What are the three cognitive processes?

Answer 2

Social categorization (putting yourself into a group)
Social identification (adopting the identity of the group)
Social comparison (Comparing the in-group with out-groups)

Question 3

Minimal group experiments

Answer 3

Tajfel took a group of young boys and randomly selected them into groups (realistically, they were all in the same group). They were then asked to rate their own group and the other group. They put their own group down so as to put the other group down further.