Social identity orientation and social role attributions: Explaining behavior through the lens of the self

Abstract

Research investigated the way an individual's self-definition (i.e., social or personal identity orientation; Cheek, 1989) influenced the type of attribution used to explain a target group member's opinion. Participants watched a group discussion between three members of a Greek organization and three Independent individuals and were asked to rate the cause behind a target Greek member's opinion. The pattern of agreement between the target and the other group members varied by experimental condition. The attributions made, either to social category membership or to personal characteristics, were influenced by the extent to which individuals valued social aspects of their self-concept. Individuals who placed relatively high value on the social aspects of their identity attributed the target's behavior to his group membership more than to his personality. The results suggest that the importance of social factors to individuals' self-definitions increases the accessibility of social influences in their views of causation.