Self‐definition and psychological group formation in an ethnic minority

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Social psychological theories of group formation have traditionally focused on the affective aspects of group behaviour. Group behaviour is thus defined in terms of the attraction members feel towards each other and the group as a whole. More recent approaches have emphasized the role of cognitive variables, such as social categorization, in causing group behaviour. The process through which this might occur has been outlined by Turner (1982, 1984). He suggests that it is the acceptance of a social category as a self‐definition which leads to attraction and group behaviour, via the stereotypic perception of the self and the ingroup. Experimental studies aimed at testing this model have not monitored self‐definitions directly. Instead, comparisons in terms of group behaviour have been made between subjects categorized as belonging to a group and those not categorized. The purpose of the study described here was to investigate self‐definitions more directly. Following Turner, it was predicted that the degree to which a group label is used as a self‐definition would be associated with the degree of group behaviour expressed in terms of that group. This was tested on a sample of people associated with a real‐life low status minority, and thus who would not be expected to exhibit group behaviour if attraction was the major determinant. The prediction was supported, and the results are seen as providing further support for a social identification model of psychological group formation. It is concluded that there is room for further applied and experimental research into the nature of self‐definitions.

This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit: