Intragroup Dynamics Research Articles

Indigenous identity transformations: The pivotal role of student-to-student abuse in Indian Residential Schools.

Embracing a shared social identity typically serves to protect group members in the face of threats. However, under some conditions, intragroup dynamics are diverted so that instead, they contribute to disturbances in collective well-being. The present analysis applies a social identity framework to understand how intragroup processes elicited in Indian Residential Schools (IRS) altered the capacity of Indigenous peoples to overcome damage to their identity and collective functioning. With the alleged goal of assimilating the Indigenous population, residential schools in Canada entailed the forced removal of Indigenous children from their communities. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission established in 2008 confirmed the extensive abuse perpetrated by IRS staff, but also raised awareness of the pervasiveness of student-to-student abuse. Supported by qualitative analyses of the reports of social service providers working with IRS survivors (N = 43), it is argued that a key part of the dynamics in the IRSs was the subversion of intragroup processes among Indigenous children in attendance. Understanding intragroup dynamics provides a basis for recognizing the persistent effects of IRSs, and for identifying strategies to heal and reclaim a positive collective identity.

Adolescents' Judgments of Doubly Deviant Peers: Implications of Intergroup and Intragroup Dynamics for Disloyal and Overweight Group Members

AbstractGroup membership, loyalty, and weight are highly relevant for adolescent peer evaluations at school. This research tested how in‐group/out‐group membership affected judgments of peers who deviated from social norms for weight and loyalty. Two hundred and forty 11–13‐year‐olds (49 percent female; 94 percent Caucasian) judged two in‐group or out‐group peers: one was normative (loyal and average weight) and the other was non‐normative (i.e., ‘deviant’). The deviant target was overweight, disloyal to their own group (school), or both (‘doubly deviant’). Derogation of overweight relative to average weight peers was greater if they were in‐group rather than out‐group members, revealing a strong ‘black sheep effect’ for overweight peers. Disloyal out‐group deviants were judged favorably, but this effect was eliminated if they were doubly deviant, suggesting that their disloyalty was insufficient to overcome the overweight stigma. Consistent with developmental subjective group dynamics theory, effects of group membership and types of deviance on adolescents’ favorability toward peers were mediated by adolescents’ perceptions of how well the deviant members would ‘fit’ with the in‐group school. Implications for theory and strategies to reduce peer exclusion, particularly weight stigmatization, are considered.

The role of intragroup dynamics in nonprofit governance models: a systematic quantitative literature review

Nonprofit governance models rarely incorporate board intragroup dynamics as a significant board factor that influences performance. However, intragroup dynamics such as cohesion and conflict have demonstrated a relationship with board performance suggesting that board intragroup dynamics play a larger role than previously thought. In order to better understand the relationship between intragroup dynamics and performance, a systematic quantitative literature review was conducted. Through an extensive search process and the application of a series of inclusion criteria, 43 papers were identified and reviewed. Three types of intragroup dynamics (cohesion, the board–CEO relationship, and boardroom climate) were shown to have a positive relationship with performance whereas the relationship between performance and two other intragroup dynamics (conflict and power patterns) was mixed. It was concluded that intragroup dynamics should be a central factor in board governance models. Using the findings of this review, directions for future research were identified.

Microdisarmament and Compliance Costs: An Analysis of Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration Programs

Focusing on disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programs, this article considers why some armed groups disarm and demobilize, while others refuse to do so. Previous research focused on intergroup rivalries and identified enforcement as a critical barrier. This study considers the effect of (1) war benefits and (2) intragroup dynamics and argues that distribution problems obstruct conflict resolution. Using a simple game-theoretic model, the article demonstrates that optimal programs (1) consider that combatants' cost of supporting peace varies and (2) require a mix of positive and negative incentives to motivate all ex-combatants to participate and comply with program requirements.

The Role of Outgroups in Constructing a Shared Identity: A Longitudinal Study of a Subsidiary Merger in Mexico

Both scholars and practitioners agree that constructing a shared organizational identity is necessary for successful outcomes in mergers and acquisitions. Yet the process of constructing shared identity is not an easy path. We report findings of a longitudinal in-depth case study of merging Mexican subsidiaries—part of two European Multinational Corporations. The study took advantage of a rare opportunity that includes prior knowledge of the merger and permission to follow-up until post-merger integration concluded. Particularly, in the studied case, status differences between pre-merger organizations were removed, external boundaries were reinforced and new outgroups emerged, namely the Head Offices and Latin American divisions. Our study contributes to the M&A literature, to the stakeholder approach to organizational identity and to identity construction in nested organizations. We shed light on how intergroup dynamics change over time during interactions between internal and external stakeholders, and whose status changes in the post-merger organization. Based on these findings, we argue that considering both intragroup and intergroup dynamics can refine the concept of shared organizational identity. Intragroup dynamics refers to employees of the post-merger organization, and intergroup dynamics refers to outgroup—outside the post-merger organization. We coin a concept of an optimal shared identity, defined as the members’ shared belonging to the post-merger organization and to the Multinational Corporation (on the global or regional level) in the face of salient outgroups.

Participatory choral music as a means of engagement in a veterans' mental health and addiction treatment setting

Background: the purpose of this study was to investigate how participation in a music-based performance and instruction program influenced the sense of engagement experienced by participants at a residential setting for at-risk veterans. Methods: semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants in a veterans' choir program conducted at the facility. Results: prominent themes that emerged from the interview included (1) the veterans' personal motivations for participating; (2) emotions associated with participation; and (3) perceptions of intragroup dynamics. Conclusions: primary conclusions drawn include: (1) opportunities to connect with others through shared interests may contribute to sense of engagement; (2) connections forged with other residents of the facility extended beyond relationships established in the choir through increased recognition associated with performances; and (3) the choir represented a diversion from pressing concerns and may have served as a means of facilitating adjustment to change at a measured pace.

Attitudes and Practices of Parents: Disadvantage and Access to Education

This article focuses on different ways in which socially disadvantaged parents engage with their children’s educational experiences, and provides evidence of the role they play in opening or narrowing their children’s access to education. Disadvantaged parents are usually associated with weak or difficult educational trajectories for their children, because of their lower level of economic, cultural, and social capital. Nevertheless, this association does not operate as an automatic mechanism. Indeed, against a backdrop of persisting inequalities, research data show a plurality of intraclass and intragroup dynamics, with disadvantaged parents having diverse ways of avoiding blaming processes, saving dignity, and acting as proactive agents for their children’s educational career.

Governments, publics, and enemies: Intragroup dynamics as barriers to conflict resolution

Scholars and political commentators have long noted that domestic or internal politics can play a significant role in the development of foreign (or other intergroup) relations. In the context of international (or other intergroup) conflicts, the literature notes that such features as disparate interests within a group or leader–constituent dynamics can impede the prospects for intergroup conflict resolution. Scholarly writing on the topic, however, tends to be cabined along disciplinary lines. This article is interdisciplinary and draws lessons from different fields, particularly from political science and social psychology, to describe various intragroup structures and dynamics that can constitute barriers to intergroup conflict resolution. Among other observations, the article notes the unintended effect that statements directed towards one audience in a conflict setting (i.e. the negotiating adversary or key outside actors in the international community) may have on the other audience (i.e. the speaker's domestic constituency), and how these effects can serve to diminish the prospects for conflict resolution.

The power of numbers in gender dynamics: illustrations from community forestry groups

Is solidarity and a collective articulation of interests a necessary condition for the socially disadvantaged to have a voice in institutions of local governance, as some commentators argue? Or can their inclusion in sufficient numbers equally serve this purpose, as implied in the global lobbying for quotas? Also, by what process can numbers transform into solidarity? And how can the impact of inclusion in local institutions move beyond the local? Answers to these questions would be relevant in many contexts, not least in emerging global debates on the social and solidarity economy (SSE). This paper argues that the power of numbers and implicitly shared interests can, in themselves, go a long way towards improving outcomes for the disadvantaged, although a conscious recognition and collective articulation of shared interests can further enhance effectiveness. The shift from implicitly shared interests to their collective expression, however, will require a concerted engagement with intra-group dynamics and processes of group formation and democratic deliberation. These aspects have been relatively neglected in existing SSE debates, which have focused mainly on a group's interaction with outside-group agencies rather than on intra-group interaction. The paper examines within-group dynamics through the prism of gender and class. Drawing on the author's empirical results relating to community forestry groups in South Asia, it demonstrates that a critical mass of ‘women-in-themselves’ can make a notable difference even without a ‘women-for-themselves’ social consciousness. It also explores how horizontal linkages across local groups and their vertical representation via federations can enhance impact beyond the local.

Panethnicity

Panethnicity has become a significant form of identification across the globe. Categories, such as Latino and Asian American, but also identities, such as Yoruba and European, have been embraced by a growing number of individuals and institutions. In this article, we focus on three main issues: panethnic identification, the conditions under which panethnic categories are constructed, and recent directions in the field. We argue that panethnicity is characterized by a unique tension inherent in maintaining subgroup distinctions while generating a broader sense of solidarity. This tension distinguishes panethnicity as a form of ethnic expression because it places questions of subgroup diversity and cultural legitimacy at the forefront. As such, the study of panethnicity encourages researchers to take intragroup dynamics seriously and explore how conflicts between subgroups are often negotiated or muted in ethnic mobilization and categorization processes. We call for more research that moves beyond the US case study design and makes panethnic processes explicit in international research on race, ethnicity, and nationalism.

Hormonal contraceptive use and the objectification of women and men

The purpose of this study was to test the influence of combined hormonal contraceptive (CHC) use on women’s objectification of other women and men (i.e., the tendency to attribute appearance-related body features rather than competence-related body features). A regression analysis showed that the higher the dose of the synthetic estrogen contained within a CHC, the higher the level of objectification of other women. As for men target, the synthetic estrogen was not a significant predictor, but it showed a positive trend, thus higher levels of estrogen might be, at least in part, associated with higher levels of objectification. There was no relationship between synthetic progesterone and the level of objectification of both women and men. The implications of these results are discussed with respect to the mate-retention strategies and intra-group dynamics.

The presence of neighbors influences defense against predators in a cooperatively breeding cichlid

Although behavior is often examined in a dyadic or group context, behavioral interactions are also influenced by the broader social context. Interactions with neighboring groups may provide information about the local environment or may offer important reproductive opportunities. Considering the potential fitness consequences of intergroup interactions, particularly for territorial species that have long-term relationships with neighboring groups, we expect individuals will alter their behavior based on access to surrounding groups. We used a cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher to determine if individuals vary their response to a predator when neighbors were present versus absent. We found no difference in dominant behavior between neighbor present and neighbor absent treatments, but subordinates increased their defense against the predator when neighbors were present, particularly when the neighbor was unfamiliar. Subordinates may change their behavior when neighbors are present in order to signal to or cooperate with neighboring individuals but may also be responding to the change in intragroup dynamics that can result from the presence of neighboring conspecifics. This study illustrates the importance of considering the effect of neighboring groups on individual behavior, given that intergroup dynamics can influence behaviors that do not directly involve conspecific interactions.

Influence of Intragroup Dynamics and Intergroup Relations on Authenticity in Organizational and Social Contexts: A Review of Conceptual Framework and Research Evidence

Despite their shared focus on influence of groups on individual, research bridging intragroup dynamics and intergroup relations as predictors of authentic and inauthentic (self-alienated) experience, behavior and interaction of individuals in organizational and social contexts is surprisingly rare. The goal of the present article is to highlight how understanding the reciprocal dynamic relationship between intragroup processes and intergroup relations offers valuable new insights into both topics and suggests new, productive avenues for psychological theory, research and practice development – particularly for understanding and improving the intragroup and intergroup relations in groups, organizations and society affecting authentic psychosocial functioning. The article discusses the complementary role of intergroup and intragroup dynamics, reviewing how intergroup relations can affect intragroup dynamics which, in turn, affects the authenticity of individual experiences, behaviors and relations with others. The paper considers the implications, theoretical and practical, of the proposed reciprocal relationships between intragroup and intergroup processes as factors influencing authentic psychosocial functioning of individuals in organizational and social settings.

Bridging intragroup processes and intergroup relations: Needing the twain to meet

Despite their shared focus on groups, research bridging intragroup processes and intergroup relations is surprisingly rare. The goal of the present article is to highlight how understanding the reciprocal relationship between intragroup processes and intergroup relations offers valuable new insights into both topics and suggests new, productive avenues for research and theory development - particularly for understanding and improving intergroup relations. The article next briefly reviews key findings from three dominant frameworks in the field of intergroup relations: social cognition, social identity, and functional relations. It then discusses the complementary role of intergroup and intragroup dynamics, reviewing how intergroup relations can affect intragroup processes and then discussing how intragroup dynamics can shape intergroup relations. The final section considers the implications, theoretical and practical, of the proposed reciprocal relationships between intragroup and intergroup processes.

Racial Identity Denied

This experiment examined the intersection of socioeconomic status and racial identification in understanding Blacks’ reactions toward Black victims of racial discrimination. When a Black victim of racism was presented as wealthy, rather than non-wealthy, other Blacks viewed this individual as weakly racially identified and expressed little empathy for the victim. This occurred even when this Black individual faced blatant and undeniable discrimination, suggesting that for minorities, the possession of wealth can come at the cost of being perceived as disconnected from one’s racial group and unworthy of the group’s support. The effect of the wealth manipulation on empathy was mediated by the belief that wealthy Blacks are weakly racially identified. The present investigation represents one of the first experimental investigations into the intersection of socioeconomic status and perceived racial identification among Blacks and also provides insight into intragroup dynamics within minority groups.

“I now harbor more pride in my race”: The Educational Benefits of Inter- and Intraracial Dialogues on the Experiences of Students of Color and Multiracial Students

How do students of color and multiracial students learn to make sense of and navigate race within historically white institutions (HWIs)? And, what pedagogies and inter-/intragroup dynamics facilitate increased understanding of issues of race, racial identity development, and racism in the U.S.? This project examines students’ of color (SOC) and multiracial students’ learning in the Intergroup People of Color–White People Dialogues and Intragroup Multiracial Identity Dialogues at a small private liberal arts college in the Northeast. Through qualitative, inductively-derived analyses of student papers, this study advances understanding of how SOC/multiracial students make sense of their own racial group membership and how they navigate raced interactions in college. It also continues and extends national efforts to conduct and disseminate research on both the substantive nature and process of the Inter-/Intragroup Dialogues and their impact on students.

Spoiled Group Identities and Backstage Work

How do persons with a stigmatized identity learn potential responses to discrimination and harassment? Drawing on three and a half years of ethnographic data, this paper demonstrates how members of a group of Muslim American youth are socialized in locally dominant stigma management strategies through stigma management rehearsals. Stigma management rehearsals are small group interactions through which leaders and members encourage their peers to adopt normative stigma responses. I identify two rehearsal types that vary in their socializing function as well as in their temporal orientation toward stigmatizing incidents. In direct preparation rehearsals, individuals anticipating a stigmatizing encounter are quickly taught the normative response. In deep education rehearsals, stigmatizing incidents set in the past or hypothetical future are used to teach justifications underlying local responses and to allow for the private expression of publicly inappropriate responses. These findings suggest that intragroup dynamics and backstage processes are important considerations when investigating issues of stigma and stigma management.

Patrimony and Collective Capacity

This article investigates the ways in which the appropriation of offices and positions for personal use (“patrimony”) shapes incentive structures and collective capacity. Within the context of an agency relation, patrimonial power characterizes a mode of political dominance and resource management excluding accountability. This micro-analytical definition identifies three sources of variation: (1) the degree of codification, (2) the extent to which allegiance is personal (versus office-based), and (3) the extent to which dependence is asymmetrical. Patrimonial power enhances collective capacity through the creation of nodes of agency. It undermines this capacity by begetting arbitrary power and instability, by undercutting incentives for productive innovations, and by fostering the downward fragmentation of spheres of influence. Actors get out of this structural logic through two conjoint processes: (1) groups vying for office regulate the terms of their competition (intergroup dynamics), and (2) principals develop an incentive to make themselves accountable to fend off their agents’ possible exit (intragroup dynamics).

Intergroup Prisoner’s Dilemma with Intragroup Power Dynamics

The Intergroup Prisoner’s Dilemma with Intragroup Power Dynamics (IPD^2) is a new game paradigm for studying human behavior in conflict situations. IPD^2 adds the concept of intragroup power to an intergroup version of the standard Repeated Prisoner’s Dilemma game. We conducted a laboratory study in which individual human participants played the game against computer strategies of various complexities. The results show that participants tend to cooperate more when they have greater power status within their groups. IPD^2 yields increasing levels of mutual cooperation and decreasing levels of mutual defection, in contrast to a variant of Intergroup Prisoner’s Dilemma without intragroup power dynamics where mutual cooperation and mutual defection are equally likely. We developed a cognitive model of human decision making in this game inspired by the Instance-Based Learning Theory (IBLT) and implemented within the ACT-R cognitive architecture. This model was run in place of a human participant using the same paradigm as the human study. The results from the model show a pattern of behavior similar to that of human data. We conclude with a discussion of the ways in which the IPD^2 paradigm can be applied to studying human behavior in conflict situations. In particular, we present the current study as a possible contribution to corroborating the conjecture that democracy reduces the risk of wars.

How intragroup dynamics affect behavior in intergroup conflict: The role of group norms, prototypicality, and need to belong

This study explores the role of intragroup dynamics in intergroup conflict. In a computer-mediated negotiation experiment (N = 107), we investigated how a group representative’s standing in the group, group norm, and the representative’s need to belong influence behavior in intergroup negotiations. We hypothesized that the extent to which peripheral representatives adhere to group norms is contingent on their need to belong, whereas prototypical representatives behave in norm-congruent ways regardless of their need to belong. In support of this idea, results showed that prototypicals behaved more cooperatively when the group norm prescribed cooperation rather than competition. By contrast, peripherals only adhered to the group norm when they had a high need to belong. These findings suggest that peripherals only represent the interests of their group when doing so furthers their self-interest. We discuss implications for theorizing about prototypicality, social exclusion, and conformity to group norms.