Identity Approach Research Articles

How is coaches’ social identity leadership related to mental health in elite athletes? The mediating role of satisfaction with performance

ABSTRACT It has been found that the way high-performance coaches lead influences both athletes’ performance and mental health. However, limited research exists on the Social Identity Approach to leadership in elite sports, despite growing interest in coaching science regarding interpersonal behaviours and leadership. This study investigates the empirical links between coaches’ leadership, sport performance and mental health from a social identity approach. One hundred and forty-five elite athletes (M age = 20.6 years; SD = 4.1; 62% women, 38% men) answered questionnaires measuring coaches’ social identity leadership, sport performance satisfaction and mental health. The overall structural equation model (SEM) accounted for 36% and 19% of the variances in athletes’ mental health and mental illness dimensions, respectively. There was a positive association between perceived coaches’ social identity leadership and sport performance satisfaction, explaining 10% of its variance. Coaches’ social identity leadership predicted athletes’ mental health but not mental illness. Sport performance satisfaction positively influenced mental health and negatively impacted mental illness. Fostering a sense of “we” and “us” within elite sport training groups is instrumental in promoting sport performance satisfaction and, consequently, enhancing the mental health of athletes. Coaching educational courses may benefit from social identity leadership in interpersonal behaviours.

Development of a group-based behaviour change intervention for people with severe obesity informed by the social identity approach to health.

Interventions to support behaviour change in people living with chronic health conditions increasingly use patient groups as the mode of delivery, but these are often designed without consideration of the group processes that can shape intervention outcomes. This article outlines a new approach to designing group-based behaviour change interventions that prioritizes recipients' shared social identity as group members in facilitating the adoption of established behaviour change techniques (BCTs). The approach is illustrated through an example drawn from research focused on people living with severe obesity. A prioritization process was undertaken in collaboration with stakeholders, including behaviour change experts, clinicians, and a former patient to develop an evidence-based, group intervention informed by the social identity approach to health. Three phases of development are reported: (1) identification of the health problem; (2) delineation of intervention mechanisms and operationalization of BCTs for group delivery and (3) intervention manualization. The fourth phase, intervention testing and optimization, is reported elsewhere. A group-based behaviour change intervention was developed, consisting of 12 group sessions and 3 one-to-one consultations. The intervention aimed to support the development of shared social identity among recipients, alongside the delivery of evidence-based BCTs, to improve the likelihood of successful intervention and health outcomes among people living with severe obesity. A manualized intervention, informed by the social identity approach to health, was systematically designed with input from stakeholders. The development approach employed can inform the design of behavioural interventions in other health contexts where group-based delivery is planned.

Us or them: How COVID‐19 vaccine priority influences perceptions of local‐migrant worker relations

AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic laid bare pre‐existing societal fault lines, placing immense strain on intergroup relations and giving rise to xenophobic sentiments. Drawing on Realistic Conflict Theory (RCT) and Social Identity Approach (SIA), our study examined how the public allocation of COVID‐19 variant vaccines could influence the dynamics between local citizens and migrant workers, and under what conditions. One key idea is that valued resource distribution that favour migrant workers may produce increased perceptions of realistic threats among local citizens which could lead to exacerbated negative attitudes and behaviours of high‐status local citizens towards low‐status migrants, whereas higher fairness perceptions of such resource distributions could potentially mitigate these negative attitudes and behaviours. To investigate these predictions, we employed a cross‐cultural approach and conducted an experiment in both an Asian country (Malaysia; N = 197) and a Western country (Australia; N = 210). We manipulated vaccine prioritisation, assessed local citizens' perceptions of the realistic threat and fairness of vaccine prioritisation, and measured their attitudinal responses towards migrant workers. Our results showed that the perceived unfairness in migrant‐favouring vaccine prioritisation, rather than realistic threat, negatively affected local citizens' perceptions of the migrant workers. We discuss the implications of these findings in the context of intergroup relations.

Developing employee proactivity in entrepreneurial ventures through training: an organisational identity approach

Purpose This study aims to explore how training influences employee proactive behaviours in entrepreneurial ventures. Specifically, the study develops and tests a model in which organisational identification (OID) mediates the relationship between perceptions of training and two employee proactive behaviours: taking charge and creative behaviour. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from 136 employee-supervisor dyads from 24 entrepreneurial ventures in Malaysia’s high technology industry. Smart–partial least square structural equations modelling was used to test our proposed hypothesis. Findings The findings suggest that entrepreneurial ventures can use training to strengthen employees’ identification with the ventures, which in turn encourages proactive behaviours. Originality/value This study shows how HRD practices found in larger firms can work in different ways to influence desirable behaviours among employees of entrepreneurial firms. Specifically, by demonstrating how the relationship between training and employee proactive behaviours occurs through OID in the context of entrepreneurial ventures, the authors provide a complementary explanation of how HRD practices in entrepreneurial ventures can influence employee positive behaviours.

The Impact of Holistic Justice on the Long‐Term Experiences and Wellbeing of Mass Human Rights Violation Survivors: Ethnographic and Interview Evidence From Kosova, Northern Ireland and Albania

ABSTRACTResearch highlights the long‐term collective effects of mass human rights violations (MHRVs) on survivors’ wellbeing. This multi‐method, multi‐context paper combines the social identity approach (SIA), transitional and social justice theories and human rights‐conceptualised wellbeing to propose a human rights understanding of trauma responses and experiences in the context of MHRVs. In Study 1, ethnographic research in four locations in Kosova, 5 years post war indicates that lack of perceived conflict‐related and social justice is experienced as a key contributor to survivors’ individual and collective wellbeing. In Study 2, 61 semi‐structured interviews with MHRVs survivors from post‐war Kosova, post‐conflict Northern Ireland and post‐dictatorship Albania two to three decades post conflict also show that such justice experiences inform wellbeing. These studies illustrate the importance of expanding the SIA to health and trauma theories by taking account of a human rights‐conceptualised wellbeing as well as adopting a holistic analysis of justice perception.

Macrophage activation syndrome in Sepsis: from pathogenesis to clinical management.

Sepsis represents a significant global health and hygiene challenge. Excessive activation of macrophages in sepsis can result in certain patients displaying characteristics akin to those observed in Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS). MAS represents a grave immune system disorder characterized by persistent and severe inflammation within the body. In the context of sepsis, MAS presents atypically, leading some researchers to refer to it as Macrophage Activation-Like Syndrome (MALS). However, there are currently no effective treatment measures for this situation. The purpose of this article is to explore potential treatment methods for sepsis-associated MALS. The objective of this review is to synthesize the specific pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment strategies of MAS to investigate potential therapeutic approaches for sepsis-associated MALS. We searched major databases (including PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar etc.) for literature encompassing macrophage activation syndrome and sepsis up to Mar 2024 and combined with studies found in the reference lists of the included studies. We have synthesized the underlying pathophysiological mechanism of MALS in sepsis, and then summarized the diagnostic criteria and the effects of various treatment modalities utilized in patients with MAS or MALS. In both scenarios, heterogeneous treatment responses resulting from identical treatment approaches were observed. The determination of whether the patient is genuinely experiencing MALS significantly impacts the ultimate outcomes of therapeutic efficacy. In order to tackle this concern, additional clinical trials and research endeavors are imperative.

Understanding Leadership from the Inside: Using Ethnographic Methods to Examine How the Interplay between Leaders, Followers, and Group Context Shapes Leadership Outcomes.

This paper outlines a novel method for leadership researchers and practitioners to understand how and why effective and ineffective leadership look different in different groups. Leadership is a complex and contextually dependent process influenced by the interplay between leaders, followers, the group, and their environment. The social identity approach to leadership describes how a group's identity shapes the ways in which people can lead effectively. It also implies that (in)effective leadership looks different across diverse groups and teams. Accordingly, it follows that there is no single correct way to lead. To explore these ideas, we propose ethnographic methods, where researchers and practitioners immerse themselves in a group environment, as a novel type of method for examining leadership in action. We suggest the social identity approach as a framework to help guide researchers' data collection and sense-making of leadership behaviours. Additionally, we explain that ethnographic data can be represented well through creative non-fiction stories that capture the context surrounding leadership behaviours. These stories could support leadership consultancy and development programs to demonstrate the complex interplay between leaders, followers, and the group context.

Weekend (Keyboard) Warriors: Differences in Social Media Consumption and Production Between NFL and College Football Fans

Sports fans are often some of the most passionate groups of fans and the use of social media can intensify those feelings, both in expressing their feelings and consumption of content. Football fans are a unique group in American sports culture, but how much difference is there within that group in terms of these behaviors? Using a social identity approach, this manuscript analyzed the degree to which team identification and fan identification played a role in the social media consumption and production in college football and National Football League (NFL) fans. A total of 586 fans responded to a survey that examined respondent’s team and fan identification, as well as social media consumption, creation, and sharing behaviors. Results indicated that college football fans generally identified with fellow fans of their favorite football team and consumed, created, and shared social media more frequently and with greater intensity than their NFL counterparts. Key differences between college football and NFL fans included fan identification predicted social media consumption and creation, while team identification predicted social media sharing among both college and NFL fans.

CO2 solubility and physicochemical properties of 2-amino 2-methyl-1-propanol based solvents for post-combustion CO2 capture. Predictive modeling using machine learning

Global warming, caused by Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions from hard-to-abate industries, necessitates CO2 capture as one of the promising alternatives. Post-combustion CO2 capture (PCC) can be retrofitted for industries where chemical absorption using an amine-based solvent is an efficient method for CO2 capture. An essential factor for CO2 absorption in an amine mixture is the study of CO2 solubility and CO2 + Amine physicochemical properties to identify the more efficient solvents. Often experimental data are available in the literature, but precisemodeling is necessary to use such data for further utilization in a process-plant model. In this work, a blended solvent aqueous 2-amine-2methyl-1-Propanal (AMP) with Piperazine (PZ) and 1-(2-aminoethyl) piperazine (AEP) have been identified as a potential candidate for PCC application. The fundamental properties such as the density, viscosity and CO2 solubility in AMP + PZ and AMP + AEP blended solutions have been predicted by employing machine learning to get an exceptionally efficient model. This data-mining technique efficiently calculates solubility, density, and viscosity by using 691, 559, and 559 experimental data sets respectively, from the literature of AMP + PZ. Similarly, 120 data sets of solubility have been collected from the literature for AMP + AEP. Random Forest regression, Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and XGBoost regression algorithms are adapted to predict CO2 solubility in aqueous AMP blended solution. The effectiveness of these models has been confirmed through statistical analysis, leading to the conclusion that XGBoost outperforms the other two approaches. Moreover, an identical approach has been employed to develop a predictive model for the density and viscosity of AMP + PZ solvent. The outcomes imply that the machine learning algorithm performs better with experimental data and may be utilised as an effective simulation tool.

A social identity approach to crisis leadership.

This paper discusses the importance of a social identity approach to crisis leadership in the context of global crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic and emphasizes the interconnected relationships between leaders and followers. I highlight the role of leaders in fostering unity and shaping citizens' responses especially during crises. I discuss the nature of crises and the significant role of political leaders in guiding societal responses and suggest that crisis leadership extends beyond individual competencies and behaviours and involves a shift from individual to collective responses. With this, I introduce the social identity approach to leadership that views leadership as a social influence process and emphasizes the importance of creating a sense of 'we-ness' among followers. Following from that, crisis leadership involves leaders constructing defining features of collective identity and efficacy to address crises appropriately. However, the value of this approach depends on the careful definition of shared identity boundaries, consideration of diverse experiences within society, the evolving nature of crisis leadership over time and potential consequences of crisis leadership. The sustainability of identity leadership, the dynamics of intergroup and subgroup processes, and the complexities of various crises are identified as areas requiring further research.

Impact of Contextual Factors on the Perceived Participation of People With Multiple Sclerosis and Gait Impairment Using Mobility Assistive Devices: A Qualitative Analysis.

People with multiple sclerosis and gait impairment are particularly susceptible to facing restrictions in their participation. This study aims to investigate (a) which contextual factors within the framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) are relevant for participation from the perspective of people with multiple sclerosis and gait impairment who (intend to) use mobility assistive devices, and (b) how these contextual factors shape the subjective facets of participation, including a sense of connection, efficacy and meaning, based on the social identity approach to health and well-being. We conducted a qualitative analysis on data gathered from four online focus group interviews, each involving four to six people with multiple sclerosis and gait impairment who (intend to) use mobility assistive devices (totalling N = 19), and 12 individual online interviews conducted with participants from the focus group interviews. The analysis followed the qualitative content analysis according to Kuckartz. Mobility assistive devices such as walkers, manual wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs/scooters were seen as facilitators that enabled participation in various life situations and enhanced a sense of efficacy by promoting independence. Challenges were encountered in relation to architectural barriers, pathways, weather conditions, public transportation and the lack of integral accessibility to services and systems. Although instrumental support could ease participation, it was also associated with an impaired sense of efficacy. Attitudes, particularly developing an understanding of the experiences of people with multiple sclerosis and gait impairment from others' perspectives, were considered important but often lacking, and discriminatory attitudes were experienced. On the level of personal factors, acceptance of both the mobility assistive devices and the disease itself were seen as facilitators for maintaining involvement in life situations. This study extends the existing literature by shedding light on the interconnectedness of contextual factors within the ICF and various facets of perceived participation, including a sense of connection, efficacy and meaning. These findings provide valuable insights for stakeholders such as urban planners and policymakers in developing inclusive environments that enhance the overall quality of participation for people with multiple sclerosis and gait impairment. This study reports on the lived experiences of people with multiple sclerosis and gait impairment who (intend to) use mobility assistive devices. The research team stood in close exchange with project members of the German Multiple Sclerosis Society Lower Saxony, a group representing the interests of people with multiple sclerosis, to design and conduct the focus group interviews. The results from the focus group interviews were the basis for the design of a participatory future workshop in which people with multiple sclerosis and stakeholders involved in the healthcare process collaboratively developed recommendations for improving the provision of mobility assistive devices. German Clinical Trials Register number: DRKS00025532.

The Analysis of Implicatures in Vietnamese Local Brand Slogans

These days, it is evident that advertisements have become increasingly creative and accompanied by slogans that are meaningful as well as attractive. Therefore, the paper focuses on analyzing implicatures in the Vietnamese local brands’ slogans, particularly those incorporating the terms “Việt” or “Việt Nam,” with the purpose of finding out what type of implicature of each slogan as well as implied meanings and shared points between them. Based on the framework of the pragmatic identity approach of Erisha (2016), there were three main stages, starting with collecting slogans, analyzing them, and presenting the results. After researching, the author found five slogans that include the words “Việt” or Việt Nam.” The study reveals that the slogans all express several of the same ideas, including top-notch products, care for customers, and deep-rooted respect for Vietnamese values and traditions.

Thematic analysis of vocational identity among gifted young people using turning point narratives

The career choices of gifted students are significant both in terms of their potential contributions to society and their personal happiness and life satisfaction. The aim of this study was to identify themes of the turning points that influence gifted young people’s career decisions and to reveal which factors influence their vocational identity from a Narrative Identity Approach. Data were collected using open-ended questions from 17 (52.94% female, n = 9) gifted young people (age; M = 20.47, SD = 3.69). Data were analysed with reflexive thematic analysis, which identified five major themes (1) individual factors, (2) social factors, (3) giftedness, (4) career goals, and (5) exploration opportunities. Considering the first retrospective study examining gifted students’ vocational identity, career guidance might benefit from tailored interventions that account for their unique characteristics, goals, personal and social factors as well as maximizing exploration opportunities.

Understanding causes of adolescents' ascriptions of peers' dual ethnic and national belonging

AbstractDescendants of migrants often feel belonging to the ethnic minority group of their parents and the national group (i.e., dual identifiers). If second‐generation migrants are recognized as members of both groups, they can create social bridges and improve intergroup relations. However, people often ascribe them only minority belonging, thereby not recognizing dual belonging. Following the social identity approach, we examined who ascribes dual belonging to second‐generation migrants and why they do so. We focus on the role of national self‐identification, and endorsing a civic or ethnic conception of nationhood on the ascriptions that national majority members make to their second‐generation peers. We collected sociometric data from secondary vocational school classes in the Netherlands (Nstudents = 397, Nclasses = 36). Findings replicated that many second‐generation migrants self‐identified as dual (69%), but only a small number of dual ascriptions were given to them (15%). Although we found no effects for the hypothesized relations on ascribing only minority rather than dual belonging, national majority members who had a stronger national identification displayed a stronger tendency to ascribe only national rather than dual belonging. This raises the question whether dual identifiers could act as ‘gateway groups’ to improve intergroup relations.

Therapy as identity leadership: Commentary on “Robertson et al. (2023): A social identity approach to facilitating therapy groups”.

Therapy as identity leadership: Commentary on “Robertson et al. (2023): A social identity approach to facilitating therapy groups”.

An evaluation of the role of social identity processes for enhancing health outcomes within UK‐based social prescribing initiatives designed to increase social connection and reduce loneliness: A systematic review

AbstractThe UK's National Health Service has introduced Social Prescribing initiatives to tackle loneliness and ill‐health, yet it lacks a theoretical foundation and evidence base for Social Prescribing's effectiveness. Recent research applies the Social Identity Approach to Health (SIAH) to explain Social Prescribing's health benefits, emphasising how social connection unlocks health‐enhancing psychological mechanisms. This systematic review therefore aims to assess UK‐based Social Prescribing programmes designed to boost social connection and alleviate loneliness, examining programme efficacy and the role of SIAH processes in health outcomes. Following PRISMA guidelines, a narrative synthesis of articles published from May 5, 2006 (when social prescribing was first introduced in the NHS), to April 8, 2024, was conducted, and their quality assessed using CONSORT‐SPI (2018). Of these programmes, 10 employed a mixed‐methods design, 8 qualitative and 1 quantitative service evaluation, totalling 3,298 participants. Results indicate that Social Prescribing's psychological value lies in quality rather than quantity of social connections, with meaningful connections fostering shared identity, perceived support and self‐efficacy, the latter of which sustains social engagement post‐programme. The SIAH was a useful tool for mapping mixed‐methods findings onto a common theoretical framework to highlight these key proponents. Overall, this review underscores the importance of SIAH‐informed Social Prescribing interventions in enhancing social connectedness, reducing loneliness, and promoting overall health. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Exploring the Mechanism of Adult Users' Cyber-Aggression Against Adolescents: The Roles of Online Communication, Age Group Identity, and Online Moral Disengagement.

The increasing prevalence of adults' prejudice against adolescents on the Internet could cause opposing attitudes and even online aggression against teenagers. Yet, such age discrimination is less challenged compared to other social biases in cyberspace. Employing a social identity approach, this study aims to explore how features of online communication, teen-related personal experiences, and the dual identity of adult aggressors influence online moral disengagement (OMD), motives, and behaviors for cyber-aggression. We conducted an online survey of 767 Chinese adults in May 2023. The results demonstrated that perceived controllability of online speech, negative teen-related online experiences, and generation-based bias were positively associated with OMD. Next, adult respondents' self-serving motives positively predicted moderate and severe cyber-aggression, while educational motives only increased moderate cyber-aggression. Mediation analysis revealed that generation-based bias was the sole significant factor that amplified OMD, self-serving motives, educational motives, and cyber-aggression behaviors. In contrast, the effects of lifestage-based bias were insignificant. Our findings yield insights into individuals' moral transgressions in digital environments and shed light on the dynamics of the identity of adult aggressors in age-based discrimination. This study suggests that empathy from adults and age-appropriate prevention by online platforms are crucial to address online aggression against young generations.

Perceptions of feedback and engagement with feedback among undergraduates: an educational identities approach

Engaging with feedback has been widely shown to support learning, but levels of engagement with feedback among individual students varies considerably. This study assessed educational identities to understand this variation, while also seeking to confirm the distinct but related role of perceptions of feedback. One hundred and seventy undergraduate students in the UK completed an online questionnaire to assess their perceptions of feedback, engagement with feedback, learner identity, consumer identity, and discipline identity, as well as provide age, gender, ethnicity, and level of study. As predicted, perceptions of feedback was significantly positively correlated with engagement with feedback, and learner identity and discipline identity were also significantly positively correlated with perceptions of feedback and engagement with feedback. Data were subsequently analysed to test various hypotheses about the interactions among these variables. Critically, we found support for the proposed mediating effect of perceptions of feedback on the relation between learner identity and engagement with feedback, however, consumer identity did not moderate this effect. These findings suggest that students who demonstrate the greatest engagement with feedback are those with a strong learner identity, thus, interventions to promote learner identity may increase students’ engagement with feedback and ultimately improve their outcomes.

Building brand identity in b2b markets: Co-creation of content with suppliers via storytelling

ABSTRACT The purpose of the paper is to understand the process of content co-creation between b2b (Business-to-Business) businesses and suppliers through storytelling techniques to strengthen the organization’s brand identity. To achieve the purpose of the research, the paper integrated stages of storytelling with sensemaking theory by using the corporate brand identity matrix. Employing a Market-Oriented Ethnography (MOE) approach, guided by the Gioia methodology, the study analyzes real-time interactions and narratives at business sites, offering a nuanced grasp of the co-creation process. The study uncovers that co-creation among b2b businesses and suppliers yields a unified brand narrative, enhancing brand identity through authentic, emotionally resonant stories. The study proposes a framework for the role of suppliers and b2b businesses at various stages of brand storytelling to strengthen brand identity. The study found that the suppliers inject authenticity and relevance to the outside-in approach of corporate brand identity. Whereas, by enabling suppliers to participate in the co-creation process, the business creates a lasting impression of the brand, taking an inside-out approach to creating a distinct brand identity.

The language of belonging: The role of symbolic language in shaping social identity and public perceptions of police gender targets

AbstractGender‐targeted recruitment in policing has elicited varied public responses. This study explores public sentiment toward policing gender targets using a symbolic interactionist and social identity approach. A sentiment analysis was conducted on 5447 comments extracted from a Facebook recruitment campaign targeting women. The study revealed a nearly equal distribution of positive and negative language in the comments, with high levels of trust and fear, and notable expressions of anger and sadness. Positive sentiments utilised terms like “equality” and “merit” indicating support for gender targets as a means to promote gender equality and career opportunities for women. Conversely, negative sentiments centred on discrimination. Findings underscore how individuals construct meaning around gender and interpret gender‐target initiatives in policing through the sentiments expressed in online interactions. This research contributes to a nuanced understanding of public discourse surrounding gender targets, highlighting the importance of tailored recruitment and educational campaigns to promote inclusivity and effective gender‐targeted initiatives.