Social identity theory

• Prejudice A Pre-judgement often based

  on stereotypes or group

  characteristics when

  individual attributes are

  ignored. For example,

  assuming women will slower

  drivers than men.
• Tajfel and Turner (1979) argue that categorisation

  is a basic characteristic of human thought. We have

  little control over this and this is an automatic sorting

  procedure. The mere existence of in and out-groups is

  enough to bring about prejudice and discrimination

  between ‘them’ and ‘us’.
• Platow et al. (1990). Individuals with competitive orientations displayed a

  greater preference for the rule of relative in-group gain compared to that of

  fairness, whereas those with prosocial orientations preferred the rule of

  fairness to that of relative in-group gain.
• Prejudice produces a preference for an in-group and a dislike of an out-group.
• Tajfel (1970) ‘Minimal Group’ Experiment was conducted in Bristol to investigate if merely belonging to one group and being aware of another group's existence would lead to discriminatory behaviour in favor of one's own group.
• The aim of Tajfel's study was to provide evidence that merely belonging to one group and being aware of another group's existence would lead to discriminatory behaviour in favor of one's own group.
• Tajfel found that more points were awarded to boys who had been in the same in-group than those in the out-group.
• Mere formation of arbitrary in- and out-groups, which did not even reflect the actual preferences of the boys, was sufficient to induce prejudice behaviour.
• The boys always tried to give their in-group the best deal at the expense of the out-group.
• The boys showed prejudice behaviour of awarding fewer numbers of points to boys who were not in their in-group.
• Tajfel worked with 64 boys aged 14 & 15 from a Bristol comprehensive school who came to the laboratory in groups of 8.
• In the second part of Tajfel's experiment, the boys were shown several paintings by two artists (Kandinsky and Klee), and asked to say which they preferred.
• Boys were told which boys had also chosen the artist they liked and those who didn't.
• Tajfel arbitrarily assigned the boys to an artist so that there was no discrimination in the control group.
• 1. Social categorisation - categorisation is a process of identifying a characteristic that people in the the in group have in common enough to bring distance between us and them
• • Social categorisation
  • categorisation is a process of identifying a characteristic that people in the the in group have in common enough to bring distance between us and them
• • Social identification
  • beliefs values and attitudes of people in this group will be adopted by members and behaviours may alter to fit into the groups and norms of group. This can include internalisation shift in self concept and a new social identity is formed, social comparison may follow after
• • Social comparison
  • self esteem is raised by comparing attributes to the out-group which can involve exaggeration of their own groups ability’s and success’s 
• 1. Social identification - beliefs values and attitudes of people in this group will be adopted by members and behaviours may alter to fit into the groups and norms of group. This can include internalisation shift in self concept and a new social identity is formed, social comparison may follow after 
• 1. Social comparison - self esteem is raised by comparing attributes to the out-group which can involve exaggeration of their own groups ability’s and success’s 
• A affective: feelings of hostility and hatred
• B behavioural discrimination 

  I terms of prejudice, discrimination can be displayed as avoidance, assault, joke making or actively excluding and individual from things they are entitled to
• C cognitive stereotypes

  Social perception of an individual based on their group membership or physical attributes 

  • overgeneralised belief based on limited information 
• The view that your behaviour (e.g discrimination) is motivated by your social identity 

  A persons self image has two components 

  1. Personal identity - based on your characteristics and achievements 
  2. Social identity is determined by the various groups of people to which you belong - your ‘in group’
• A persons self image has two components 

  1. Personal identity - based on your characteristics and achievements 
  2. Social identity is determined by the various groups of people to which you belong - your ‘in group’

  We seek to have our in group valued positively relative to other groups. This makes us feel more confident.
• Tajfel and turner classified groups as in groups or outrgroups