Group Entitativity Research Articles

The discourse of the US alt-right online – a case study of the Traditionalist Worker Party blog

ABSTRACT The use of social media by extreme right groups and the self-proclaimed formation of the ‘alt-right’ in recent years have been linked to the rise in US white nationalism. Against a backdrop of widespread concern regarding the growing nature of the ‘alt-right’ phenomenon, this article responds to the pressing need to understand its appeal. Specifically, we examine the discursive means by which a hitherto unexamined US ‘alt-right’ group, the Traditionalist Worker Party, constructs its group identity and ideology online. Corpus assisted discourse analysis of this group’s blog (c. one million words) reveals that the Traditionalist Worker Party regularly mobilises five discourses (groupness, party politics, race, religion/tradition, change) in order to assert subject positions of victimhood for its (to be) members, alongside recurrent use of explicit out-grouping strategies. The out-groups are blamed for a general malaise – an uncertain, chaotic reality that can and must be changed through affiliation with the Traditionalist Worker Party. The study also shows that the Traditionalist Worker Party constructs itself a highly entitative group as a means to enhancing its recruitment appeal.

Smoker identity and resistance to antismoking campaigns: The role of group entitativity

Past works have shown that identification with smokers predicts increased resistance to antismoking campaigns. In this research, we hypothesized that group entitativity, because it affects the extent to which people feel committed to act for their group, can mitigate this link. We conducted two studies with convenient samples of smokers that both included a measure of identification and measured (Study 1) or manipulated (Study 2) entitativity. Then, participants read an antismoking message and, finally, reported their attitude toward smoking (Studies 1 and 2), as well as their urge to smoke and intention to quit (Study 2). Consistently, both studies revealed more resistance among high (vs. low) identifiers, but only when they perceived smokers as a highly entitative group. These findings emphasized the importance of group processes and social identity factors for accounting for responses to antismoking information.

Uniting a sport teams’ global fan community: prototypical behavior of satellite fans enhances local fans’ attitudes and perceptions of groupness

ABSTRACT Research question: This research examines the determinants and conditions that influence local sport fans’ evaluations of satellite fans (i.e. foreign fans abroad) of their favorite team. Specifically, we consider how prototypical (versus non-prototypical) sport fan behavior of the satellite fans influences the local fans’ perceptions of group entitativity and attitudes. In addition, the study takes into account the local fans’ fear of losing resources as a result of the internationalization of team sports as a moderating condition in the investigated relationship. Research methods: The hypotheses are tested in two online experiments that use the first football divisions of Spain (study 1) and Germany (study 2) as the empirical setting. Results and findings: The findings indicate that prototypical (versus non-prototypical) fan behavior of satellite fans results in more positive attitudes towards them among local fans. This effect is mediated by increases in the perceived entitativity of the fan group as a whole. The results also highlight that the effects of prototypicality decrease the more the local fans perceive the internationalization of team sports to be a process that deprives them of social (e.g. identity enhancement) and economic (e.g. ticket availability) resources. Implications: Our findings suggest that professional sport teams seeking to attract an international fan base and create a global fan community should educate foreign supporters in terms of the prototypical behaviors of the existing local fan community. Moreover, local fans’ concerns about losing resources (e.g. less attractive kick-off times) should be taken seriously and, if possible, remedied.

Human Group Presence, Group Characteristics, and Group Norms Affect Human-Robot Interaction in Naturalistic Settings.

As robots become more prevalent in public spaces, such as museums, malls, and schools, they are coming into increasing contact with groups of people, rather than just individuals. Groups, compared to individuals, can differ in robot acceptance based on the mere presence of a group, group characteristics such as entitativity (i.e., cohesiveness), and group social norms; however, group dynamics are seldom studied in relation to robots in naturalistic settings. To examine how these factors affect human-robot interaction, we observed 2,714 people in a Japanese mall receiving directions from the humanoid robot Robovie. Video and survey responses evaluating the interaction indicate that groups, especially entitative groups, interacted more often, for longer, and more positively with the robot than individuals. Participants also followed the social norms of the groups they were part of; participants who would not be expected to interact with the robot based on their individual characteristics were more likely to interact with it if other members of their group did. These results illustrate the importance of taking into account the presence of a group, group characteristics, and group norms when designing robots for successful interactions in naturalistic settings.

Attributing Mind to Groups and Their Members on Two Dimensions.

Psychological research has revealed that people attribute mental states to groups such as companies, especially to those groups that are highly entitative. Moreover, attributing a mind to a group results in the decreased attribution of mind to individual group members. Recent research has demonstrated that the minds of others are perceived in two dimensions—agency and experience. The present study investigated the possibility that this two-dimensional structure exists in mind attribution to groups, and group entitativity has different patterns of relations with these dimensions. A vignette experiment revealed that highly entitative groups were attributed both agency and experience to greater degrees compared to non-entitative groups, while group entitativity reduced only the attribution of agency to the individual group members. Individual members were attributed an equivalent amount of experience regardless of group entitativity. Mind attribution to individual members showed an unpredicted third factor of other-recognition, which was positively related to group entitativity. The implications of mind attribution to moral issues were discussed.

Do Associations Affect Who Gets Blamed?

Blame and responsibility are ascribed to individuals who are directly or indirectly involved with harmful actions. Previous literature suggests that individuals are more likely to assign blame to an individual rather than a collective group, when individual actions and intentions are identified. If a group is viewed as a single unit, then blame is placed on the whole group, even if the action is performed by one member. Parents are often blamed for the actions of their children, without being involved in the child’s actions. Knowledge of group entitativity, and how intent and action of members in a group affects distribution of blame has been largely overlooked. The present study examined the difference in the amount of blame assigned to individuals. Specifically, we examined a situation where both individuals are not involved in a harmful action, but one is associated with the harming agent, while the other is not. My results suggest that adults use association to assign blame, indicating that association alone is enough for blame assignment.

Group structure and entitativity in group fitness: considering groupness at within- and between-group levels

Objective: How can we distinguish between a collection of individuals exercising alongside one another from group that is exercising ‘together’? This question is central to research on the extent that individuals perceive their fitness settings to entail core features of groups. To advance understanding of the nature of groupness and its implications in exercise, the current study (a) evaluated a brief measure of groupness and (b) examined the extent that groupness predicted perceptions of exertion and affect.Design: Participants included 633 exercisers (Mage = 33.92, SD = 11.05, 74% female) who completed surveys after group fitness classes (k = 34).Main outcome measures: Groupness, affect, exertion, and group cohesion.Results: Exploratory structural equation modelling provided support for a two-factor solution reflecting entitativity and group structure as subdimensions of groupness. The groupness factors were differentially associated with theoretically relevant aspects of classes (e.g. synchronised movement), the individual (e.g. number of members interacted with), as well as group cohesion. Groupness also predicted perceived exertion and affect.Conclusion: Our research provides support for a brief measure of groupness, advances theory related to how individuals perceive exercise groups, and provides evidence regarding how broader experiences during exercise may relate to exercisers’ perceptions of groupness.

They’re a sorry bunch: Perceptions of outgroup entitativity shape the receipt of intergroup apology

This paper explores whether perceived entitativity of a group (i.e., how much it is seen as a unit) influences how its apologies are perceived. Because entitative groups are assigned agency and collective responsibility and their members are viewed as interchangeable, their apologies were hypothesized to appear more sincere and less due to ulterior motives. This effect emerged with small groups apologizing for minor grievances (Studies 1 and 2), although not always if the apology came from a leader (vs. the whole group). In Study 3, these benefits of entitativity extended to greater liking for the more entitative group, and in the case of a government apologizing for international harm. Whereas past research has emphasized the harmful impact outgroup entitativity can have on intergroup relations, these studies suggest entitativity can have benefits when the intergroup behavior is a beneficial one (e.g., apology).

Why we sometimes punish the innocent: The role of group entitativity in collective punishment.

Because punishments are expected to give offenders what they deserve proportionally to the severity of their offenses, the punishment of an entire group because of the misdeed of a few of its members is generally considered as unfair. Group entitativity might increase support for such collective punishment, because members of highly entitative groups are perceived as more similar and interchangeable. We designed three experiments comparing support for third-party collective punishment of low versus high entitative groups. As comparison base-rate, we included conditions in which participants punish an individual wrongdoer (Experiments 1 & 2). Results show that although support for individual punishment is higher than support for collective punishment, this difference was reduced (Experiment 1) or absent (Experiment 2) when the group was highly entitative. Experiment 3 replicated the increasing effect of group entitativity on support for collective punishment. We conclude that group entitativity increases the likelihood of an entire group being treated as a single unit, facilitating collective punishment when a few group members commit an offense.

Families as ingroups that provide social resources: Implications for well-being

In six studies, we examined how properties of families as ingroups (i.e., group value, entitativity, and identification) enhance well-being, leveraging the Model of Ingroups as Social Resources (MISR). In correlational studies involving college students (Study 1) and older adults (Study 2), people experienced greater well-being when they reported that their families were greater in group value, entitativity, and identification. Studies 3–5 manipulated each of these three family ingroup properties, respectively, and we observed causal evidence that each one improves well-being. Study 6 replicated Study 3, and it ruled out a mood-based alternative account. These studies contribute to our understanding of how families affect people’s mental and physical health, and they provide an initial empirical test of these three ingroup constructs concurrently and in a manipulated fashion.

What makes displaced revenge taste sweet: Retributing displaced responsibility or sending a message to the original perpetrator?

AbstractThe present research investigates the psychological dynamics underlying displaced revenge. We examine (1) the effect of entitativity on displaced revenge tendencies, including potential mediators of this effect, and (2) the conditions under which taking displaced revenge is satisfying for avengers. In three studies, we show that (a) perpetrator group entitativity predicts the tendency to take displaced revenge via perceptions that the vengeful action is effective in delivering a message to the original perpetrator, (b) that displaced revenge is satisfying when the group continues to exist in its original form, but not when the perpetrator has left the group or when the group has dissolved, and (c) that displaced revenge is most satisfying when both the original perpetrator and the target of revenge understand why revenge has been taken. These findings imply that sending a message to the original perpetrator is an important aspect of the psychological dynamics underlying displaced revenge.

National Identity Management Strategies: Do they Help or Hinder Adoption of Multiculturalism in Russia?

Background. We use Social identity theory as a theoretical framework, specifically focusing on strategies of identity management. The study is based on the following theoretical assumptions. First, identity management strategies might serve as mediators between different identity threats and behavioral patterns in intergroup relations. Second, identity management strategies help to make the shift from the individual to the group level of analysis, allowing us to take the consequences of intergroup behavior for a group entitativity into consideration. Third, identity management strategies strongly depend on the social context of intergroup relations.

Scrutinizing Homophobia: A Model of Perception of Homosexuals in Russia

ABSTRACTWe aimed to develop and validate a model of associations of perceived threat of homosexuals with lay beliefs about causes of homosexuality, group entitativity of homosexuals, approval of social action strategies targeting homosexuals, and support for their rights using original Russian-language measures. We tested the model in two samples of social network users (n = 1,007) and student respondents (n = 292) using structural equation modeling and path analysis. Attribution of homosexuality to social causes was a positive predictor of perceived threat of homosexuals, whereas biological causes showed an inverse effect. Perceived threat predicted approval of discriminatory strategies targeting homosexuals and lack of support for their rights and fully mediated the effects of causal beliefs on these variables. Group entitativity of homosexuals was a positive predictor of perceived threat and a significant moderator of its effects on support for punishment and medical treatment of homosexuals. We discuss the findings with reference to the Russian social context.

“Groupy” Allies Are More Beneficial While “Groupy” Enemies Are More Harmful

Previous research about group perception in terms of warmth and competence focused on the effects of social structural factors but overlooked the role of the fundamental group characteristic (i.e., entitativity or groupiness). Three studies were conducted to examine people’s perception of high/low entitativity groups under various functional relations. In Study 1, we experimentally created the target group (i.e., Group X) and manipulated entitativity and functional relation. In Studies 2 and 3, we chose a real group (i.e., Uyghurs) as the target group and measured cues to entitativity (Study 2) or entitativity itself (Study 3) and interethnic relations. In all studies, participants rated the target group on warmth and competence dimensions. The results suggested that, under cooperative functional relation, the group with higher entitativity was perceived as more competent and warmer, thereby more beneficial. Conversely, when the functional relation was conflictive, the group with higher entitativity was perceived as more competent but colder, and thus more harmful.

Polarization and positivity effects: Divergent roles of group entitativity in warmth and competence judgments

Previous studies have obtained mixed results regarding the influence of entitativity on group judgments. The present research aimed to make sense of the inconsistent results by examining the effect of entitativity on warmth and on competence, inspired by Fiske's seminal work suggesting that group judgments are made in terms of two fundamental dimensions. In Study 1, the target group was a novel group; its entitativity was manipulated by an instruction set regarding common goals and interdependence of group members. We described the target group as positive/negative on a warmth (Study 1a) or competence (Study 1b) dimension with segments of behavior statements. In Study 2, we selected four kinds of real social groups as target groups based on the stereotypes that people had held toward them. The entitativity of these four groups was manipulated by pictures depicting the similarity and interdependence of the group members. In both studies, participants rated the target groups in terms of warmth and competence. The results revealed that entitativity exerted a polarization effect on warmth and a positivity effect on competence judgments. The implications about entitativity and formation of and changes in impressions about groups are discussed.

Culture and Group Processes

Table of Contents Foreword: Series Editors Chapter 1. Culture and Group Processes: Defining the Intersection Marilynn B. Brewer and Masaki Yuki Part I. Culture and Basic Group Processes Chapter 2. Essentialism and Entitativity Across Cultures Nick Haslam, Elise Holland, and Minoru Karasawa Chapter 3. Intergroup Comparison and Intragroup Relationships: Group processes in the cultures of individualism and collectivism Masaki Yuki and Kosuke Takamura Chapter 4. A Knowledge-based Account of Cultural Identification: The Role of Intersubjective Representations Ching Wan and Jia Yu Chapter 5. Culture, Group Processes and Trust Letty Y-Y. Kwan and Ying-yi Hong Part II. Culture and Intragroup Processes Chapter 6. Outlier Nation: The Cultural Psychology of American Workways Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks and Eric Luis Uhlmann Chapter 7. Culture, Group Processes, and Creativity Chenchen Li, Letty Kwan, Shyhnan Liou, and Chi-Yue Chiu Chapter 8. How Does Culture Matter? A Contextual View of Intercultural Interaction in Groups Mary E. Zellner-Bruhn and Cristina B. Gibson Chapter 9. Unpacking Four Forms of Third Culture in Multicultural Teams Wendi Adair and Omar Ganai Part III. Culture and Intergroup Processes Chapter 10. Culture and Intergroup Communication Kimberly A. Noels Chapter 11. Culture, Group Entitativity and Contagion of Conflict Tiane Lee, Michele Gelfand, and Garriy Shteynberg

Factor Structure Exploration and Scale Development of Group Entitativity

집단 실체성이란 집단이 단순한 개개인의 모임이 아닌 한 덩어리의 개체처럼 지각되는 특성이다. 본 연구에서는 이전의 집단 실체성 연구들에서 사용한 실체성의 측정 문항들을 바탕으로 집단 실체성 척도를 만들고 그 하위 요인을 확인하였다. 이를 위해 참가자들은 다양한 범주의 집단(친밀한 집단, 업무 집단, 사회적 범주, 느슨한 관계)에 대하여 지각되는 특성들을 예비 척도에 답하였다. 분석 결과, 집단 실체성은 ‘주체성’과 ‘본질성’으로 구성되고 주체성은 다시 ‘공동의 목표’와 ‘공통 운명’, 본질성은 ‘친밀성’과 ‘비침습성’, ‘집단성’의 하위 요인을 갖는 두 수준 모형이 적합한 것으로 나타났다. 한편 집단 간에 실체성의 두 상위 요인 점수를 비교한 결과 친밀한 집단과 업무 집단은 주체성, 본질성 점수가 다른 집단들의 점수에 비해 높았다. 업무 집단은 사회적 범주에 비해 주체성 점수는 높았지만 본질성 점수에서는 두 집단이 다르지 않았다. 느슨한 관계는 주체성, 본질성 점수 모두에서 다른 집단들에 비해 낮았다. 본 연구는 집단 실체성의 요인 구조를 밝힘으로써 집단 실체성의 이론적인 개념을 구체화하고 측정할 수 있는 방법을 제안한다.

Психологический эссенциализм: разработка и апробация шкалы

The article presents the results of the development and approbation of the scale of psychological essentialism (belief in invariability of group membership). The results of confirmatory factor analysis conducted on eight different groups (ethnic (Russians / Tajiks / Jews), gender groups (men / women), homosexuals (gay / lesbians) and religious groups (Orthodox / Muslim)) (n = 897), demonstrated the good fit to empirical data. The multi-group confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the different groups measured on the scale, can be compared with each other within a single category. The scale shows good convergent and discriminant validity. On the one hand, psychological essentialism associated with group entitativity, group identification, right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation and justification the social hierarchy; on the other hand there are not correlation between the psychological essentialism and open to experience and attitude to novelty.

Entitativity and social identity complexity: The relationship between group characteristics and personal characteristics on group identification

The current study extends previous works on group identification by focusing on how social identity complexity and entitativity interact to impact group identification. The purpose of the current study is to test the hypothesis that people with a simple social identity identify more strongly with a highly entitative group and people with complex social identity identify more strongly with a group low in entitativity. Participants’ social identity complexity and entitativity about a group were manipulated, and with that group was measured. Results demonstrated that participants primed with a simple social identity identified more strongly with a more highly entitative group, whereas identification with the high and low entitativity groups did not differ for participants primed with a complex social identity.

What Is a Group? Young Children's Perceptions of Different Types of Groups and Group Entitativity.

To date, developmental research on groups has focused mainly on in-group biases and intergroup relations. However, little is known about children’s general understanding of social groups and their perceptions of different forms of group. In this study, 5- to 6-year-old children were asked to evaluate prototypes of four key types of groups: an intimacy group (friends), a task group (people who are collaborating), a social category (people who look alike), and a loose association (people who coincidently meet at a tram stop). In line with previous work with adults, the vast majority of children perceived the intimacy group, task group, and social category, but not the loose association, to possess entitativity, that is, to be a ‘real group.’ In addition, children evaluated group member properties, social relations, and social obligations differently in each type of group, demonstrating that young children are able to distinguish between different types of in-group relations. The origins of the general group typology used by adults thus appear early in development. These findings contribute to our knowledge about children's intuitive understanding of groups and group members' behavior.