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Questions and Answers
What is the main assumption of Social Identity Theory?
What is the process through which people evaluate their own groups according to Social Identity Theory?
What strategy do individuals use to protect themselves when their group is threatened, according to Social Identity Theory?
How do employees typically feel when an organization they belong to is performing well, as per Social Identity Theory?
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What is the cognitive process involved in protecting oneself against a threat to one's group as proposed by Social Identity Theory?
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Why is understanding the significant aspects of identity important for interacting efficiently with others?
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What is the 'Outgroup homogeneity effect' described in the text?
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How does the Outgroup homogeneity effect impact behavioral tendencies according to the text?
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What behavioral consequence is highlighted in relation to perceiving ingroup members more positively?
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How does identity play a role in the decision to remain with or leave an organization, as discussed in the text?
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Study Notes
Social Identity Theory
- Our sense of self-worth is derived from membership in social groups.
- Social identity refers to aspects of self-image derived from social categories.
Assumptions of Social Identity Theory
- People want to maintain or improve self-esteem.
- Positive or negative evaluations are associated with group memberships.
- We evaluate our own groups through social comparison.
Self-Categorization Theory (SCT)
- People identify with particular groups.
- People feel good about themselves when they affiliate with good groups.
Consequences of Social Identity Theory
- When an organization is successful, employees feel a sense of pride and respect.
- When an organization suffers, employees feel the negative effects.
- We try to maintain self-esteem rooted in group membership; a threat to our group is a threat to us.
Responses to Threats to Group Identity
- Mobility: physically leaving the group or psychologically dissociating from it.
- Social Competition: working to make our group stronger or better in comparison with others.
- Social Creativity: cognitively redefining the comparison of the group with other.
Importance of Social Identity Theory
- Helps us understand how/why people react when an important social identity base (e.g., gender, race) is devalued in an organization.
- Many differences exist among coworkers in social foundations for identity.
- Individuals also differ in level of development and importance of these identities.
Ingroup/Outgroup Dynamics
- We tend to exaggerate similarity within each group (for both ingroup and outgroup).
- Differences between groups are perceptually accentuated, making the outgroup feel more different from us than they are.
- Ingroup is seen as more varied/diverse than the outgroup ("Outgroup homogeneity effect").
- Members of the outgroup are seen as very similar to each other and viewed in negative, stereotypical ways.
Behavioral Consequences of Ingroup/Outgroup Dynamics
- It's easier to behave negatively towards those who are perceived as all alike.
- We are more likely to perceive ingroup members more positively, expect better from them, and trust more.
- If ingroup members behave badly, we're more likely to give them the benefit of the doubt by attributing their behavior to identity-unrelated external causes.
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Description
Test your knowledge on Social Identity Theory with this quiz. The questions cover topics such as how our sense of self is derived from social groups, the aspects of self-image based on social categories, and the evaluation of group memberships in relation to self-esteem.
