Identity Compatibility Research Articles

The Rationality and System Perfection of Identity Compatibility between Arbitrator and Mediator in the Med-Arb Model

The Rationality and System Perfection of Identity Compatibility between Arbitrator and Mediator in the Med-Arb Model

“Not what I Can, but what I Should”

Educational inequalities associated with differences in social class backgrounds remain stable in many Western societies, where students from lower social classes generally have lower academic prospects. Previous research suggested that psychological barriers could explain part of this social class attainment gap. This study aimed to investigate the role of identity compatibility in explaining the relationship between high school students’ socioeconomic background and their educational aspirations. Identity compatibility is defined as perceived compatibility between students’ socioeconomic background and a stereotype of a university student. A total of 362 high school students from Croatia completed an online survey that measured their subjective socioeconomic status, identity compatibility, educational aspirations, and their school achievement. The results showed positive associations between the students’ subjective socioeconomic status and identity compatibility, which was, in turn, positively associated with their educational aspirations. The parallel multiple mediation model confirmed the significant indirect effect of subjective socioeconomic status on educational aspirations via identity compatibility, while the path via school achievement was not significant. These findings suggest that part of the social class educational aspiration gap could be explained by the perceived lack of compatibility between one’s social class identity and future university student identity, potentially leading to lower university enrolment rates among lower social class students. Practical considerations of study results are discussed in terms of the potential of socio-psychological interventions in reducing the social class educational aspiration gap.

Connecting groups and behaviours: A network analysis of identity-infused behaviours.

Research in the social identity tradition acknowledges the multiplicity of our identities and the implications that identity compatibility has for our health and well-being. However, current measures of multiple group membership have not yet captured the richness and complexity of our social identity networks at the wider sample level, and data regarding the different behaviours typically associated with different group memberships are scarce. Adopting a network approach, we explore the co-occurrence of different group memberships within an individual (identity-by-identity network), the behaviours that are shared among identities (behaviour-by-identity network), and whether identities that are shared also share common behaviours (identity-by-behaviour network). An online survey asked participants (N = 286) to list the groups they are part of, as well as the behaviours viewed to be typical of group members. The networks identified several identities and behaviours to significantly co-occur at a rate both higher and lower than chance. Networks were found to be low in modularity; there was no evidence of clustering within the data. Permutation analyses demonstrated the overall structure of the networks to be significantly different than expected by chance. The co-occurrences identified serve as a meaningful resource for those conducting research into identities, group norms and their associated behaviours.

Felt understanding as a bridge between social identity and wellbeing among international university students

AbstractWellbeing issues among international students in the UK higher education have been recognised as a crisis. To address this, we integrate social identity and felt understanding approaches to wellbeing and mental health, testing whether felt understanding (the belief that others understand oneself) is an important process through which social identity predicts better wellbeing, over and above other, more established mediators (social support, life meaning, and personal control). International university students (including both undergraduates and postgraduates, N = 301) completed an online survey that measured three sets of variables: social identity variables (ingroup identification, multiple identities, multiple identity compatibility); process variables (social support, felt understanding, life meaning, personal control); and wellbeing outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress). Path analyses confirmed that felt understanding predicted better wellbeing outcomes over and above the other mediators. Additionally, indirect effects from social identity variables to wellbeing via felt understanding were consistently significant, even when adjusting for the other mediators. The results are consistent with the idea that felt understanding is an under‐acknowledged resource through which social identities protect wellbeing. The findings contribute to “social cure” research and have implications for promoting wellbeing services from the perspective of group memberships. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Multiple group identifications and identity compatibility in eating disorder recovery: A mixed methods study

AbstractEating disorder recovery is an identity transition characterised by ambivalence, in which group memberships play an important part. However, our understanding of how memberships of groups with different recovery norms (i.e., supportive vs. unsupportive of recovery) can facilitate or inhibit recovery is limited. To address this gap, this study adopted the Social Identity Model of Recovery to examine how recovery is manifest through the changing composition of an individual's group memberships. We employed a convergent mixed methods design to quantitatively determine whether specific groups (i.e., family, friends, and online groups) are more helpful to eating disorder recovery than others, and to qualitatively explore how group (in)compatibility shapes recovery efforts. There was a high level of convergence across survey (N = 112) and interview (N = 12) data: groups could have a positive or negative impact according to their recovery norms; different groups provided different forms of support and identity‐expression; incompatibility was not always experienced as a problem and could afford strategic benefits. Our findings are amongst the first to attest to the importance of considering identity networks (and their normative content) during eating disorder recovery.

“They Keep an Eye on You”: Minority Pressure and its Implications for Dual Identity Among Six Immigrant Groups in the Netherlands

The present study analyses perceived pressure to conform to minority group norms and examines its implications for identity (in-)compatibility among six immigrant groups in the Netherlands ( N = 5,783). We analyzed whether orientation toward the majority and minority and the perceived diversity climate explained individual and group differences in perceived minority pressure. Subsequently, we estimated multigroup models to examine whether perceived pressure moderated the association between minority and majority identifications. We found substantial group differences in perceived pressure that were not well explained by orientation toward the majority and minority groups, or the perceived diversity climate. Immigrants who had spent a larger proportion of their life in the receiving society experienced more, but those who had more work experience in the Netherlands experienced less pressure. Perceived pressure was higher the more the Netherlands was perceived as hospitable for immigrants, but also at higher levels of perceived intergroup hostility. Minority and majority group identifications were negatively associated across all six immigrant groups, but only among the Moroccan-Dutch did perceived pressure significantly moderate this association. Specifically, identifications became more compatible (i.e., more positively associated) at lower levels of pressure, a trend that we also observed among all other groups except the Turkish-Dutch; yet in these groups the interaction, though similar in magnitude and direction, was not statistically significant. We concluded that minority group dynamics may contribute to the (in-)compatibility of multiple group identifications, but more research is needed to understand the group characteristics that explain perceived minority pressure and its implications for minority members’ identification patterns.

Shaping EU Attitudes Through Identity Leadership: Investigating Pro‐EU and EU‐Skeptic Identity Narratives

The European Union (EU) faces many challenges. Chief among them are (1) the growing electoral appeal of EU‐skeptic parties, (2) the prevalence of negative narratives about the EU, and (3) frequent marginalization of government leaders openly advocating EU membership. It is hence unsurprising that the EU attitude literature focuses heavily on ways in which leaders undermine (rather than bolster) confidence in the EU. The aim of this conceptual article is to fill this void and to shine a spotlight on how leaders seek to restore confidence in the EU. Rather than to merely describe what pro‐EU leaders say in public, we propose a conceptual model that combines older EU attitude research (into “nested” social identities and perceived identity compatibility), with more recent social psychology research (into “identity mobilization” and “identity leadership”). By combining insights from both fields, our framework enables us to gain a deeper understanding of why certain pro‐EU narratives can be expected to “take hold” and instill faith in the EU among the public at large. The discussion focuses on the implications for EU leadership.

A controlled evaluation of the effect of social prescribing programs on loneliness for adults in Queensland, Australia (protocol)

BackgroundIn social prescribing, link workers support individuals whose persistent health problems are exacerbated by loneliness by connecting them to community-based social activities. This approach is well established in the UK and is gaining attention in Australia. However, a major limitation of research to date has been a lack of theoretically informed and rigorous evaluations of social prescribing. We will address these points in this study, applying a social identity framework to examine the effects of group-based social prescribing (SP) activity compared to primary care treatment as usual (TAU).MethodsNinety participants experiencing loneliness recruited from primary care services and community centres across five sites in Southeast Queensland will be assigned to one of two conditions (SP, TAU) and assessed at two timepoints (baseline, + 8 weeks). Individuals will be aged 18 years and over, have sufficient English language skills to provide consent, and at the time of recruitment they will not be experiencing acute symptoms or social issues that require urgent intervention. Primary outcomes are loneliness, mental well-being, and health service use (total number of GP, hospital, and allied health visits in the past 3 months). Secondary outcomes will assess social group processes, including number of important social groups, new group identification, multiple identity compatibility, and group-based support and emotion regulation.DiscussionThis study will provide comprehensive data about the extent to which, and how, social prescribing to community-based group activities may help people to feel less lonely, more socially integrated, and healthy over the first 8 weeks. If effective, this social identity-informed model of social prescribing can be disseminated in communities across Australia.Trial registrationANZCTR, Registered 8 June 2022 - Retrospectively registered, https://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12622000801718.aspx

'People like me don't do well at school': The roles of identity compatibility and school context in explaining the socioeconomic attainment gap.

BackgroundSchool students who are eligible for reduced or free school meals (FSM) – an indicator of economic disadvantage – have lower academic attainment than their peers.AimsWe investigated whether identity compatibility – the perceived compatibility between one’s social identities and the stereotype of a high‐achieving student – contributes to this socioeconomic attainment gap, and whether the association between socioeconomic status and identity compatibility is moderated by school context.SampleOur sample was 4,629 students aged 15–16 years old across 29 schools in England.MethodWe assessed students’ perceptions of identity compatibility via self‐report questionnaires 8 months prior to them taking national, standardized exams.ResultsMultilevel regression analyses revealed a negative indirect effect from eligibility for FSM to exam results via identity compatibility. These effects existed even while accounting for students’ gender and language status, other psychological variables known to predict academic attainment, and their previous exam results. Furthermore, school context moderated the relationship between FSM eligibility and identity compatibility. In line with the identities in context model of educational inequalities, there was a significant negative association between FSM and identity compatibility only for students attending schools in which there was previously a relatively large socioeconomic attainment gap.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate the importance of social psychological variables in explaining educational inequalities, and of the local educational context in determining the educational experience of students from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds.

Facilitating Identity Compatibility in Mentorships: Implications for Diversity in Medicine.

Despite intentional efforts to improve diversity in medicine, there is pronounced underrepresentation of minority groups and non-disclosure of minority identities by medical students due to societal stigmas and fears of acceptance. One way that medical schools address this challenge in supporting diverse student backgrounds is by facilitating faculty mentorship programs with underrepresented minority (URM) students. These efforts are valuable, but they are unfortunately not available at all institutions and do not always allow URM students to engage in the process of choosing a mentor confidentially. Medical schools largely do not make self-reported information from faculty about their various identities and allyships available to medical students, which limits the resources that students have to independently forge these connections. Helping students form their own mentor-mentee relationships by making faculty demographics available can lead students to find individualized support across their medical training. Identity compatibility between students and their role models has shown to correlate with academic achievement and senses of belonging. Enforcing that all medical schools share the identities of faculty who choose to disclose this information with students will thus be helpful to further diversity as a continuous commitment in medical education.

The evolution of Genetic Molecular Map and phylogenetic tree of Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is suspected to originate from an animal host (zoonotic) followed by a human to human transmission, The purpose of the present study is to determine the genetic affinity of a phylogenetic tree and conformation of protein between human and bat. Through study of genetic sequencing, as shown in the tree design of strains and genetic variants, the main cause of COVID-19 is the Bat Coronavirus RaTG13 (SARS) virus in ID: MN996532.1 and ID: MG772933.1 (24-Jul-2013 and Feb-2017) shows that the evolution of the Corona virus from 2003, 2013 to 2020 which has become the most deadly peak in humans, the virus evolved from the bat effect on Humans. Protein analysis show 98 change of amino acid form RaTG13 (SARS) virus to COVID-19 Homo sapiens. Consequently, this study increased our understanding of the genetic variety of the COVID-19 carried by bats. So we conclude that a protein conformation drawing shows high identity compatibility between a bat and a human

Join us: Dynamic norms encourage women to pursue STEM

The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields is a key challenge in many countries. Extant studies have explored why women opt out of STEM fields and how to encourage women to enter these fields. The current research examined the use of dynamic information about the collective change in a behavior over time to increase women’s willingness and intention to embark on STEM fields. Across two experimental studies and a mini meta-analysis, we found that when exposed to a message about an increasing number of women choosing to pursue STEM careers over time, female students in high school (Study 1) and college (Study 2) were more likely to declare an intention to enter STEM fields and have more interest in STEM careers. Furthermore, we tested the mediating effects of self-efficacy and perceived identity compatibility (Study 2). The results showed that dynamic norms can increase women’s self-efficacy for pursuing a career in STEM fields and perceived identity compatibility, thereby leading to greater interest in STEM fields and more willingness to choose a STEM career.

How to verify patient identity and blood product compatibility using an electronic bedside transfusion system.

Transfusion of an incorrect blood component is an important avoidable serious hazard of transfusion resulting from process errors. Our group and others have taken advantage of new technology and developed electronic transfusion systems for safe transfusion practice in a previous studies. They allow the clinical staff to correctly identify the patient and the blood product at the bedside, ensuring the right blood product is given to the right patient. This video is to demonstrate the process and not to promote any specific product. It is a follow up our previous video clip on electronic remote blood issue in a previous study. The process for correct patient identification originates from the wristband, which contains the patient identification details in a 2D barcode and is printed from the electronic patient record system. These details are associated with the blood sample through using a portable printer to produce a label for the sample tube. The patient details are scanned into the blood bank laboratory information system (LIS) and are then printed on a compatibility label by the LIS, which also contains a 2-dimensional barcode, and is then attached to the blood product. Following an initial visual check of these details by the clinical staff, the electronic bedside system requires that both the patient wristband barcode and the blood product compatibility barcode are scanned. This will electronically verify at the patient's bedside that the right unit is to be given to the right patient. This is the final step in ensuring end-to-end electronic control and safe transfusion practice.

Incremental Beliefs, STEM Efficacy and STEM Interest Among First-Year Undergraduate Students

Low retention rates of undergraduate students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields are a persistent problem in the USA. Information and knowledge of STEM topics is valuable in today’s modern and global society, and STEM jobs are both lucrative and in high demand. As such, engagement and retention of undergraduate students in STEM is essential to ensure STEM jobs have skilled employees to meet the demands of the twenty-first century. Participants were 1201 first-year undergraduate students from a STEM-focused university. Results from mediation and moderated mediation analyses suggest that incremental beliefs predict a variety of STEM outcomes (STEM interest, sense of belonging in STEM environment, identity compatibility) through STEM efficacy for STEM majors, not non-STEM majors, all of which are associated with STEM engagement and persistence. More specifically, for STEM majors, incremental beliefs predict higher STEM efficacy which then predicts greater STEM interest and sense of belonging in STEM as well as greater perceived identity compatibility between oneself and STEM and between one’s gender and STEM. Future directions and implications are discussed.

What moderates the attainment gap? The effects of social identity incompatibility and practical incompatibility on the performance of students who are or are not Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic

A successful journey through higher education is, for many, a once in a lifetime opportunity for social mobility. Unfortunately, one notable feature of higher education systems is that students from some backgrounds do not achieve the same academic attainments as do others. The current study tests the role of one particular set of processes: social identity (in)compatibility on academic performance. Participants were recruited at two time points from a pool of first year undergraduates at a modern London University (N = 215) of which 40.1% were classed as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME), 57.1% as non-BAME and 2.8% did not provide this information. A prospective design was employed: Alongside demographic data, measures at the start of the academic year consisted of measures of student and ethnic identity, and both practical and identity incompatibility. At the end of the academic year, average marks achieved were gained for each student from the university’s registry system. Results indicate that BAME students had equal levels of student identity to non-BAME students, but higher levels of ethnic identity. They also typically experienced higher levels of both practical and identity incompatibility. Finally, BAME students had lower attainment than did non-BAME students. Both practical and identity incompatibility appeared to moderate this effect. However, contrary to predictions, it was only under conditions of low and medium levels of incompatibility that BAME students attained lower marks than their non-BAME peers. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Accounting for unequal access to higher education: The role of social identity factors

Western societies stress the potential for anyone, irrespective of social background, to improve their position within society. However, disadvantaged students face barriers in gaining a good education. Two studies in secondary schools show how perceptions of identity compatibility and anticipated fit influence students’ university choices. It was found that relatively disadvantaged students scored lower on identity compatibility, and that low scores on identity compatibility were associated with lower anticipated fit at a local selective (Study 1) or highly selective (Study 2) university. Anticipated fit, in turn, predicted the type of university to which participants wanted to apply; those who anticipated fitting in more at selective universities were more likely to apply to higher status universities. These relations were significant while controlling for academic achievement. Together, these studies suggest that social identity factors play a relevant role in explaining higher education choices among low-status group members.

A social identity perspective on the social-class achievement gap: Academic and social adjustment in the transition to university

First-generation students show lower academic performance at university compared to continuing-generation students. Previous research established the value in taking a social identity perspective on this social-class achievement gap, and showed that the gap can partly be explained by lower compatibility between social background and university identities that first- compared to continuing-generation students experience. The present paper aimed to increase insight into the processes through which this low identity compatibility leads to lower academic achievement by examining first-year university students’ adjustment to university in two key domains: the academic and the social domain. These were examined as two routes through which the social-class achievement gap may arise, and hence perpetuate this group-based inequality. Adjustment was examined both through students’ actual integration in the academic and social domains, and their internally experienced concerns about these domains at university. A longitudinal study among 674 first-year university students (13.6% first-generation) showed that first-generation students experienced lower identity compatibility in their first semester, which was in turn related to lower social, but not academic, integration. Lower identity compatibility was also related to more concerns about the social and academic domains at university. Low identity compatibility was directly related to lower academic achievement 1 year later, and this relationship was mediated only by lower social integration at university. These findings show that to understand, and hence reduce, the social-class achievement gap, it is important to examine how low identity compatibility can create difficulties in academic and particularly social adjustment at university with consequences for achievement.

Inclusive or Exclusive? How Contact with Host Nationals May Change Immigrants' Boundary Perceptions and Foster Identity Compatibility

Inclusive or Exclusive? How Contact with Host Nationals May Change Immigrants' Boundary Perceptions and Foster Identity Compatibility

Inducing gender/professional identity compatibility promotes women's compensation requests.

In this paper, I examine whether inducing gender/professional identity compatibility prior to a self-advocacy negotiation, may enhance women’s assertiveness in a compensation negotiation and mitigate potential social backlash concerns for assertiveness. In two experimental lab studies where women negotiated with a male counterpart as sellers and job candidates, I found evidence supporting the causal link between state gender/profession identity integration and higher levels of assertiveness in women’s self-advocacy compensation negotiations.

Social class and models of agency: Independent and interdependent agency as educational (dis)advantage

AbstractSocial class continues to be associated with achievement in school and attendance in university and higher education. This qualitative study explores this phenomenon, and reports three focus group interviews with middle and working class secondary school students, in Ireland. We explore cultural and identity factors in educational settings. Specifically, our analysis orients to the models of agency experienced by these students. Middle class participants express independent agency in education, through norms of choice, control, and freedom from constraints. In contrast, working class students orient towards an interdependent model of agency and express psychological, social, and material barriers to opportunity in education. However, independent neo‐liberal individualising and meritocratic discourses were expressed by both groups, suggesting the models are complicated and nuanced. Nevertheless, it is concluded that cultural fit and identity compatibility in educational settings, broadly, constitute middle class advantages and working class disadvantages.