Psychology - Social Identity Theory

Social Identity Theory

A psychological theory that explains how individuals categorise themselves and others into social groups.

Social categorization, social identity, and social comparison

3 processes of the social identity theory

Social categorisation

The process of classifying people into groups based on shared characteristics.

Social identification

The process by which individuals adopt the identity of a group they belong to, influencing their self-concept and behavior based on group norms and values.

Social comparison

The process of comparing oneself to others in the same or different groups, which can influence feelings of self-worth, group dynamics, and perceptions of in-group and out-group status.

group

Any collection of 2 or more people who interact with and influence one another for more than a few minutes and who share a common purpose

ingroup

A group that a person identifies with, belongs to, and sees as “us”

Outgroup

A group that a person doesnt belong to and sees as different from their own group (“them”)

Ingroup bias

The tendency to favour members of your own group over members of other groups

Ingroup behaviour

They see themselves as more similar than one another than to members of outgroups and they see themselves as superior compared to the outgroups

Group cohesion

The property of a group that binds them together as a group

Realistic conflict theory

Intergroup hostility arises as a result of competition for scarce but valuable resources