Social Identity Theory

• Social comparison


  The process of comparing one's in-group with out-groups.
• Henri Tajfel

  A social psychology who, along with John Turner, developed SIT.
• Minimal group paradigm


  An experimental procedure that involves creating groups based on nothing and then observing their behaviour.
• Social categorization


  The cognitive process of thinking about people in relation to their in-groups and out-groups (in other words, mentally categorizing people into different groups)
• Self-esteem hypothesis


  The claim in SIT that people compare their in-group with out-groups in a biased way in order to make themselves feel better.
• Positive distinctiveness


  The act of making one's in-group better and different from an out-group.
• Out-group homogeneity effect


  This term describes the psychological phenomenon whereby members of out-groups seem more similar to one another than members of an in-group.
• In-group bias


  Acting more favourably towards your in-group than you do towards an out-group.
• Discrimination


  Treating someone different because of a group they belong do. (usually refers to worse treatment).
• Implicit racial bias


  A bias against members of a particular race that you're not consciously aware of.
• Amygdala


  The part of the brain associated with implicit racial biases.
• Klee and Kandinsky


  The name of the abstract painters that Tajfel and Turner led students to believe they were grouped based on their likelihood to like these painters.
• Social Identity Theory was developed by Henri Tajfel and John Turner
• Tajfel's research was influenced by his personal experiences during World War II.
• What does Social Identity Theory oppose regarding the causes of prejudice?

  Realist theories
• Social Identity Theory opposes Realistic Conflict Theory, which suggests conflict is based on rational competition for scarce resources
• What are the three stages of group formation according to Social Identity Theory?

  Social categorisation, identification, comparison
• Social categorisation involves seeing yourself as part of a group.
• What are the two categories of groups that emerge during social identification?

  Ingroup and outgroup
• Social comparison involves viewing your ingroup as superior to the outgroup
• Social comparison can lead to prejudice and discrimination.
• What variable may influence how strongly someone identifies with their ingroup?

  Personality
• Social comparison does not occur with outgroups that are irrelevant to your life
• Football fans are more likely to compare themselves to supporters of rival teams in the same league.
• What type of studies did Tajfel use to research Social Identity Theory?

  Minimal groups
• In one study, Tajfel divided boys based on their estimates of the number of dots
• The boys in Tajfel's minimal groups studies were randomly assigned to groups.
• What task were the boys in Tajfel's studies given to allocate points?

  Matrices
• In Tajfel's studies, boys awarded more points to members of their own ingroup
• Boys in Tajfel's studies chose maximum difference over maximum joint profit.
• What did Tajfel conclude about outgroup discrimination based on his research?

  It is easily triggered
• Tajfel's research suggests that outgroup discrimination can occur without any competition
• Football fans display Social Identification by wearing their team colors.
• What is Social Identity Theory's explanation for prejudice in cliques?

  Self-esteem and status
• Expanding social identity can help reduce prejudice
• The song "We Are The World" aimed to challenge perceptions of starving Africans as an outgroup.
• How did the Nazis use Social Identity Theory to unite Germans against Jews?

  By presenting Jews as an outgroup
• Tajfel's minimal groups studies provide evidence for the credibility of Social Identity Theory
• Minimal groups studies have been criticized for lacking ecological validity.
• What did Tajfel suggest about the artificial tasks in his studies?

  Discrimination is more likely in real-world situations