Videos Week 1: Social Identity Theory
Research philosophy
Different disciplines have different research philosophies
Problem-driven research:
1. Problem: What do we want to know?
2. Theory: How does a theory explain the problem?
3. Research: Test the predictions made by the theory.
Problem-based research questions:
- Descriptive question: To what extent do we observe a problem?
- Trend question: How did the problem change over time?
- Comparison question: To what extent are there differences within a problem (i.e. between
areas or groups)?
- Explanation question: Why does this problem exist? Why did the problem change? Why
do we observe differences?
Group formation
Categorization process is a central component of Social Identity Theory
- Evolutionary perspective: necessary to distinguish friend and enemy
- Cognitive perspective: necessary to process large amount of information
Categorization
People search actively for information
People simplify processing all that information by ignoring certain differences and emphasizing
(or even exaggerating) certain similarities of that information
- Example: missing hammer when camping (Taylor and Moghaddam p. 64)
SIT experiment 1: non-social stimuli
How do people deal with categories?
People have to rate non-social stimuli
Line experiment, no categories vs. line experiment, with categories
- Results: greater differences between line in category A and B & less variance within a category
Non-social stimuli vs. social stimuli
Categorization of non-social stimuli: similarities within groups and differences between groups
are overemphasized.
SIT experiment 2: minimal-group experiment
Goal: manipulate social categorization as an independent variable
- Step 1: generate social categorization on basis of a trivial criterion
- Step 2: let participants give rewards to members of their own and the other group
Example: dot estimation task & rewarding people
Conclusion: group formation leads to discriminatory behavior (in-group favoritism)
- Even if groups are formed on basis of a trivial category
- Social categorization per se is a sufficient condition for the development of intergroup bias
(discrimination in favor of the own group)
SIT: four central concepts
, Social categorization
Social identity
Social comparison
Psychological group distinctiveness
Social categorization
“Process of bringing together social objects or events in groups which are equivalent with regard
to an individual’s actions, intentions and system of beliefs”
Similar to categorization of non-social stimuli:
- Use of any characteristic available
- Perceive more similarity within and more difference between categories
Not just the basis of how we perceive the world, but also who we perceive ourselves
Social identity
Social identity is the realization that one belongs to a social category and the positive or negative
evaluation associated with this membership
- Are divisive and exclusive: you either belong or you don’t
- Are context dependent (you identify with different groups in different situations)
- Have a cultural component (with certain behaviors and normative expectations) this turns a
category into an identity
- Include a judgment of the nature of people in a certain category
Social comparison
Through social comparison with other groups, people try to evaluate their group’s relative status
People strive for a positive social identity
- People are motivated to belong to a positively evaluated group
They value their own group more than other groups
- Social identification vs. contra-identification (ascribing positive characteristics to own group
vs. ascribing negative characteristics to other groups)
Psychological group distinctiveness
On the one hand, people want to belong to a positively evaluated group
On the other hand, people have the need to be distinct from others
People thus try to achieve a position of their group that is distinct and positive
, Intergroup comparison = you compare your social status (individual or group) to others
Adequate social identity = you belong to a group with a high social status (positive)
Inadequate social identity = you belong to a group that has a lower social status, not as highly valued
as others (negative)
Cognitive alternative = you think it’s possible for you to change your social position in the given
system (whether you think the hierarchy in the system is stable and legitimized)
Social mobility = you leave the group with the lower social position and join the group with the
higher social position (i.e. through education) can lead to black sheep effect
Intra-group comparison =you don’t compare yourself to the highest group, instead you compare
yourself to members who belong to your group (who are possibly worse off)
Redefine characteristics: always characteristics that are perceived to be negative
Research philosophy
Different disciplines have different research philosophies
Problem-driven research:
1. Problem: What do we want to know?
2. Theory: How does a theory explain the problem?
3. Research: Test the predictions made by the theory.
Problem-based research questions:
- Descriptive question: To what extent do we observe a problem?
- Trend question: How did the problem change over time?
- Comparison question: To what extent are there differences within a problem (i.e. between
areas or groups)?
- Explanation question: Why does this problem exist? Why did the problem change? Why
do we observe differences?
Group formation
Categorization process is a central component of Social Identity Theory
- Evolutionary perspective: necessary to distinguish friend and enemy
- Cognitive perspective: necessary to process large amount of information
Categorization
People search actively for information
People simplify processing all that information by ignoring certain differences and emphasizing
(or even exaggerating) certain similarities of that information
- Example: missing hammer when camping (Taylor and Moghaddam p. 64)
SIT experiment 1: non-social stimuli
How do people deal with categories?
People have to rate non-social stimuli
Line experiment, no categories vs. line experiment, with categories
- Results: greater differences between line in category A and B & less variance within a category
Non-social stimuli vs. social stimuli
Categorization of non-social stimuli: similarities within groups and differences between groups
are overemphasized.
SIT experiment 2: minimal-group experiment
Goal: manipulate social categorization as an independent variable
- Step 1: generate social categorization on basis of a trivial criterion
- Step 2: let participants give rewards to members of their own and the other group
Example: dot estimation task & rewarding people
Conclusion: group formation leads to discriminatory behavior (in-group favoritism)
- Even if groups are formed on basis of a trivial category
- Social categorization per se is a sufficient condition for the development of intergroup bias
(discrimination in favor of the own group)
SIT: four central concepts
, Social categorization
Social identity
Social comparison
Psychological group distinctiveness
Social categorization
“Process of bringing together social objects or events in groups which are equivalent with regard
to an individual’s actions, intentions and system of beliefs”
Similar to categorization of non-social stimuli:
- Use of any characteristic available
- Perceive more similarity within and more difference between categories
Not just the basis of how we perceive the world, but also who we perceive ourselves
Social identity
Social identity is the realization that one belongs to a social category and the positive or negative
evaluation associated with this membership
- Are divisive and exclusive: you either belong or you don’t
- Are context dependent (you identify with different groups in different situations)
- Have a cultural component (with certain behaviors and normative expectations) this turns a
category into an identity
- Include a judgment of the nature of people in a certain category
Social comparison
Through social comparison with other groups, people try to evaluate their group’s relative status
People strive for a positive social identity
- People are motivated to belong to a positively evaluated group
They value their own group more than other groups
- Social identification vs. contra-identification (ascribing positive characteristics to own group
vs. ascribing negative characteristics to other groups)
Psychological group distinctiveness
On the one hand, people want to belong to a positively evaluated group
On the other hand, people have the need to be distinct from others
People thus try to achieve a position of their group that is distinct and positive
, Intergroup comparison = you compare your social status (individual or group) to others
Adequate social identity = you belong to a group with a high social status (positive)
Inadequate social identity = you belong to a group that has a lower social status, not as highly valued
as others (negative)
Cognitive alternative = you think it’s possible for you to change your social position in the given
system (whether you think the hierarchy in the system is stable and legitimized)
Social mobility = you leave the group with the lower social position and join the group with the
higher social position (i.e. through education) can lead to black sheep effect
Intra-group comparison =you don’t compare yourself to the highest group, instead you compare
yourself to members who belong to your group (who are possibly worse off)
Redefine characteristics: always characteristics that are perceived to be negative
