Shared Social Identity Research Articles

Shared social identity and social norms shape risk-taking at mass gatherings.

Shared social identity and social norms are often un(der)recognized within mass gatherings health literature, yet they can increase infectious disease transmission by motivating people to engage in risk-taking behaviours. Across three experiments (Ntotal = 1551), we investigated how shared social identities, perceived norms of resource-sharing, and perceived riskiness of sharing interact to shape decisions that can lead to disease transmission. In Experiment 1 (N = 528), we examined how shared social identity and perceived descriptive norms affect the likelihood of crowd members sharing resources that may contribute to disease spread. We then replicated this in Experiment 2 (N = 511) using perceived injunctive norms. In Experiment 3 (N = 512), we explored how high shared social identity, perceived norms, and perceived health risks of resource-sharing impact the likelihood of sharing that may, in turn, increase infectious disease transmission at mass gatherings. We found that high shared social identity interacts with perceived descriptive and injunctive norms, and low health risk perceptions, to increase the likelihood of accepting resources and giving resources at mass gatherings. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to build effective strategies to mitigate infectious disease transmission at mass gatherings.

Shared social identity and media transmission of trauma

When an individual or group trauma becomes a shared public experience through widespread media coverage (e.g., mass violence, being publicly outed), sharing a social identity with a targeted individual or group of victims may amplify feelings of personal vulnerability. This heightened perceived threat may draw people to engage with trauma-related media because of increased vigilance for self-relevant threats, which can, in turn, amplify distress. We studied this possibility among two U.S. national samples following the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, FL (N = 4675) and the 2018 Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court Senate hearings (N = 4894). Participants who shared LGBT or Hispanic identities with Pulse massacre victims reported greater exposure to massacre-related media and acute stress. Participants who shared Dr. Blasey Ford’s identities as a victim of interpersonal violence and a Democrat reported more hearings-related media exposure and acute stress. Indirect effects of shared single identity on acute stress through self-reported event-related media exposure emerged in both studies. Results for sharing dual identities with victims were mixed. These findings have implications for media use and public health.

Shared social identity and perceived social support among stroke groups during the COVID-19 pandemic: Relationship with psychosocial health.

Community‐based peer support groups for stroke survivors are common in the United Kingdom and aim to support rehabilitation. This study of 260 stroke survivors across 118 groups nationally used an online survey format, completed on average 3 months into the pandemic. Analysis of both quantitative and open‐ended responses provided insights into how stroke group members maintained contact during the COVID‐19 pandemic and how the group processes of shared social identity and perceived social support related to psychosocial outcomes (self‐esteem, well‐being and loneliness). Group members adapted to the pandemic early through telephone calls (61.6% of participants) and internet‐based contact (>70% of participants), although also showed a desire for greater contact with their groups. A stronger sense of shared social identity and perceptions of social support from the stroke groups were weakly associated with reductions in loneliness among members, and greater perceived social support was associated with higher self‐esteem. However, having poor health and living alone were more strongly associated with more negative psychosocial outcomes. The discussion considers how barriers to contact during pandemics can be managed, including access and use of online communication, limitations imposed by stroke‐related disability, and how the experience of feeling supported and social identification can be better nurtured within remote contexts.

Measurement of Shared Social Identity in Singing Groups for People With Aphasia.

Community groups are commonly used as a mode of delivery of interventions for promoting health and well-being. Research has demonstrated that developing a sense of shared social identity with other group members is a key mechanism through which the health benefits of group membership are realized. However, there is little understanding of how shared social identity emerges within these therapeutic settings. Understanding the emergence of shared social identity may help researchers optimize interventions and improve health outcomes. Group-based singing activities encourage coordination and a shared experience, and are a potential platform for the development of shared social identity. We use the “Singing for People with Aphasia” (SPA) group intervention to explore whether group cohesiveness, as a behavioral proxy for shared social identity, can be observed and tracked across the intervention. Video recordings of group sessions from three separate programmes were rated according to the degree of cohesiveness exhibited by the group. For all treatment groups, the final group session evidenced reliably higher levels of cohesiveness than the first session (t values ranged from 4.27 to 7.07; all p values < 0.003). As well as providing confidence in the design and fidelity of this group-based singing intervention in terms of its capacity to build shared social identity, this evaluation highlighted the value of observational methods for the analysis of shared social identity in the context of group-based singing interventions.

Shared social identity transforms social relations in imaginary crowds

In this paper we present three studies that address the difference between physical and psychological groups, the conditions that create a transformation from the one into the other, and the psychological processes underlying this transformation. In Study 1 we demonstrate correlations between shared social identity, desired physical proximity to others, and positive emotions in the company of others. Study 2, employing a between-subjects design, finds that an event that creates shared fate, such as the breakdown of a train, leads to greater comfort in social interactions (e.g., ease of conversation) and comfort in sensual interactions (e.g., tolerance of physical touch) with other passengers, and that this occurs through an increase in shared social identity but not through social identification. Study 3 obtains similar findings using a within-subjects design. In combination, these studies provide consistent evidence for the role of shared social identity in the emergence of psychological groups from physical groups.

Shared social identity content is the basis for leaders’ mobilization of followers

ObjectivesThere is growing research interest in the social identity approach to leadership in sport. Researchers have examined how leaders’ representation of a shared social identity allows them to motivate group members but has neglected the role that identity content plays in this process. The present research addresses this issue in two experimental studies that examine the effect of sharedness in identity content (i.e., beliefs about what it means to be a member of a group) on leaders’ mobilization of group members. DesignA 2 X 2 experimental — between-participant — design, with two shared and two non-shared conditions. MethodIn Study 1, 160 athletes imagined themselves in one of four sport team scenarios and responded to measures of mobilization (e.g., willingness to invest time on task). In Study 2 (laboratory experiment), we manipulated sharedness and assessed 114 participants’ behavioural mobilization and task performance. ResultsStudy 1 supports the hypothesis that identity content that is shared (rather than non-shared) between leaders and group members increases members’ willingness to invest time on a task. Study 2 replicates these results and also shows that increased effort among group members mediates the relationship between shared identity content and members’ improved task performance. ConclusionsThe present research is the first to provide evidence that sport leaders’ capacity to mobilize the effort of group members rests upon their ability to build shared identity content.

Predicting collective behaviour at the Hajj: place, space and the process of cooperation.

Around 2 million pilgrims attend the annual Hajj to Mecca and the holy places, which are subject to dense crowding. Both architecture and psychology can be part of disaster risk reduction in relation to crowding, since both can affect the nature of collective behaviour-particularly cooperation-among pilgrims. To date, collective behaviour at the Hajj has not been systematically investigated from a psychological perspective. We examined determinants of cooperation in the Grand Mosque and plaza during the pilgrimage. A questionnaire survey of 1194 pilgrims found that the Mosque was perceived by pilgrims as one of the most crowded ritual locations. Being in the plaza (compared with the Mosque) predicted the extent of cooperation, though crowd density did not. Shared social identity with the crowd explained more of the variance than both location and density. We examined some of the process underlying cooperation. The link between shared social identity and giving support to others was stronger in the plaza than in the Mosque, and suggests the role of place and space in modulating processes of cooperation in crowds. These findings have implications for disaster risk reduction and for applications such as computer simulations of crowds in pilgrimage locations.This article is part of the theme issue 'Interdisciplinary approaches for uncovering the impacts of architecture on collective behaviour'.

Paying It Forward and Getting It Back: The Benefits of Shared Social Identity in Generalized Exchange

Generalized exchange is a powerful prosocial behavior with a number of individual and collective benefits, but indirect repayment makes it riskier than other forms of exchange, and this risk is reflected in comparatively lower rates of giving in generalized exchange systems. This study tests whether sharing a social identity motivates greater giving in generalized exchange. It also examines important, but often overlooked, differences between two forms of social identity: category-based social identity, which stems from similarities, and group-based social identity, which stems from interactive, interdependent relationships. As predicted, results of a controlled laboratory experiment demonstrate group-based social identity has a stronger impact than category-based social identity on giving in generalized exchange. The findings of this study have important implications for the study of social identity and, more generally, the study of categories and groups. The findings also shed light on ways groups, such as nonprofit and voluntary organizations, may motivate greater generosity in the prosocial process of generalized exchange.

Genius begins at home: Shared social identity enhances the recognition of creative performance.

The present research examines the extent to which the recognition of creative performance is structured by social group membership. It does this by analysing the award of merit prizes for Best Actor and Actress in a Leading Role for the international award of US-based Oscars and British-based BAFTAs since BAFTA's inception of this category in 1968. For both awards, the exclusive assessment criterion is the quality of artists' performance in the international arena. Results show that US artists won a greater proportion of Oscars than BAFTAs (odds ratio: 2.10), whereas British artists won a greater proportion of BAFTAs than Oscars (OR: 2.26). Furthermore, results support the hypothesis that these patterns are more pronounced as the diagnostic value of a quality indicator increases - that is, in the conferring of actual awards rather than nominations. Specifically, US artists won a greater proportion of Oscar awards than nominations (OR: 1.77), while British artists won a greater proportion of BAFTA awards than nominations (OR: 1.62). Additional analyses show that the performances of in-group actors in movies portraying in-group culture (US culture in the case of Oscars, British culture in the case of BAFTAs) are more likely to be recognized than the performances of in-group actors in movies portraying the culture of other (out-)groups. These are the first data to provide clear evidence from the field that the recognition of exceptional creative performance is enhanced by shared social identity between perceivers and performers.

Patient experiences of a bariatric group programme for managing obesity: A qualitative interview study.

People with obesity experience a range of physical and psychological ill-health outcomes. This study examined patients' experiences of a group-based programme for the management of morbid obesity delivered within the UK National Health Service. The focus of the study was on the emerging dynamic of the group and patients' perceptions of its impact on health outcomes. A qualitative interview study was conducted and involved patients recruited from a Tier 3 bariatric service in South West England. Verbatim transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Twenty patients (12 females) with a BMI≥35kg/m2 participated in a semi-structured one-to-one interview. Participants had been registered with the bariatric service for at least 6months. None of the participants had had bariatric surgery. Most participants felt that they had benefited from participating in the group programme and talked about the group as a resource for lifestyle change. Participants' narratives centred on the emergence of a sense of self based upon their participation in the group: establishing psychological connections to other patients, or shared social identity, was regarded as a key mechanism through which the programme's educational material was accessed, and underpinned the experience of social support within the group. Through interaction with other patients, involving the sharing of personal experiences and challenges, participants came to experience their weight 'problem' through a collective lens that they felt empowered them to initiate and sustain individual lifestyle change. Bariatric care groups have the potential to support lifestyle change and weight loss and may help address the psychological needs of patients. Nurturing a sense of shared social identity amongst patients with morbid obesity should be a core aim of the care pathway and may provide the foundation for successful translation of dietetic content in group programmes. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Services for people with obesity who require specialist care are often supported by group-based bariatric programmes. There are no specific guidelines for the organization of bariatric groups beyond the recommendation for lifestyle interventions delivered by a multidisciplinary care team. Research with other health conditions suggests that the psychological connections formed between participants in bariatric programmes may play an important role in structuring programme effectiveness. What does this study add? Establishing psychological connections with other patients underpins bariatric patients' group experience. Shared social identity structures behaviour change in patients on bariatric programmes. Nurturing shared social identity should be a core aim of the bariatric care pathway.

Is Religiosity in a Prospective Partner Always Desirable? The Moderating Roles of Shared Social Identity and Medium of Communication when Choosing Interaction Partners

The profession of religion gives rise to myriad inferences and connotations, yet surprisingly little research has examined how it may influence with whom we choose to work. Two experiments conducted at a UK university investigated how religiosity by prospective collaborators affected attitudes and behaviour towards them. Participants in experiment 1 (N = 96) and experiment 2 (N = 120) demonstrated that individuals have a greater preference for, and are more likely to choose, a partner who shares their religious tendencies, but only when they anticipate working face-to-face. When electronic communication was anticipated, this bias disappeared. The implications for these findings are then discussed, particularly with regard to how they may impact on real-life issues such as online recruitment.

Social trust, risk perceptions and public acceptance of recycled water: Testing a social-psychological model

Faced with a severe drought, the residents of the regional city of Toowoomba, in South East Queensland, Australia were asked to consider a potable wastewater reuse scheme to supplement drinking water supplies. As public risk perceptions and trust have been shown to be key factors in acceptance of potable reuse projects, this research developed and tested a social-psychological model of trust, risk perceptions and acceptance. Participants (N = 380) were surveyed a few weeks before a referendum was held in which residents voted against the controversial scheme. Analysis using structural equation modelling showed that the more community members perceived that the water authority used fair procedures (e.g., consulting with the community and providing accurate information), the greater their sense of shared identity with the water authority. Shared social identity in turn influenced trust via increased source credibility, that is, perceptions that the water authority is competent and has the community's interest at heart. The findings also support past research showing that higher levels of trust in the water authority were associated with lower perceptions of risk, which in turn were associated with higher levels of acceptance, and vice versa. The findings have a practical application for improving public acceptance of potable recycled water schemes.

Shared Cognition as a Product of, and Precursor to, Shared Social Identity: Studying the Role of Communication in Negotiations

This paper examines the relation between shared cognition and shared social identity, and the influence of these two variables on negotiation productivity. Three studies showed that both shared cognition and identification with an overarching group are associated with better negotiation outcomes. Moreover, clear links exist between the development of shared cognition and shared identity. A direct manipulation of shared cognition resulted in greater identification (Study 2). Conversely, stronger identification before negotiation was associated with the development of shared cognition during negotiation (Study 3). Thus, as predicted by self-categorization theory, shared social identity can be both the product of, and precursor to, the development of shared cognition (Turner, 1991), with communication functioning as the interface between the two.

WE ARE WHAT WE WEAR: THE EMERGENCE OF CONSENSUS IN STEREOTYPES OF STUDENTS' AND MANAGERS' DRESSING STYLES

This paper presents an experiment demonstrating that the way in which students stereotype themselves and managers in terms of dressing style becomes more consensual when these stereotypes are (i) formed within an intergroup context, and (ii) created via interaction premised upon shared social identity. This is because the way people dress is often related to their collective identity (Davis, 1992), and because dressing styles may be used as a potent symbol of shared beliefs and values. These findings are consistent with the analysis of stereotyping put forward by self-categorization theorists.