A Social Identity Perspective on Group Processes in Sport and Exercise

Abstract

This chapter explores centers on the mechanisms through which people function at the social end of the identity spectrum as well as the outcomes that derive from identification with social groups in sport and exercise settings. Beyond examining spectator identification with sport teams, a small but noteworthy body of work has also studied athlete's social identities within sport teams. The research in sport has predominantly conceptualized and assessed social identity as a unidimensional construct. The chapter outlines the theoretical tenets of Social Identity Theory (SIT) and Self-Categorization Theory (SCT), as well as provides an overview of their application within sport and exercise settings. The main premises of SIT are that people are motivated to create and maintain a positive self-concept, and this desire for positivity extends to the evaluation of the social groups of which they are a part. The chapter considers the processes and implications that correspond to the identities that individuals form through membership in social groups.