Social Identity Theory Flashcards
(11 cards)
What is social categorisation?
Identifying your in group based on similar interests, eg, same culture, same pop culture, etc.
What is social Identification?
adopting your ingroups characteristics, such as their clothing style, their music taste, chants, etc.
What is social comparison?
In group favouritism (preferring your ingroup believing they are better)
Out group denigration (being physically or verbally violent towards the outgroup)
What is self-esteem?
Prejudice is due to wanting to fit in to you group via self esteem by putting down the out-group and favouring your in-group.
What is positive distinctiveness?
Self-esteem motivates ones in group to be perceived as more positive/distinctive than other outgroups.
What is supporting evidence for Social Identity Theory?
Sherif - social identification by creating group names and flags.
- social comparison through raids, vburning flags, ‘cheat’ ‘sneak’ etc.
Jane Elliot’s blue eyes/brown eyes - told blue eyes performed better academically and this created prejudice based on eye colour.
What is conflicting evidence for Social Identity Theory?
OTOH - sherif could be said to conflict this study as he staged competition to the boys rather than self esteem issues.
What is another theory for Social Identity Theory?
RCT is less holistic than SIT as it considers 3 separate stages of social prejudice.
OTOH - RCT could be more holistic as it poses a solution (SOG) whereas SIT doesn’t.
What is the usefulness of Social Identity Theory?
Helps understand how certain groups create prejudice and how to reduce it, e.g., adding school uniforms can reduce social identification and bullying.
What is NOT useful about Social Identity Theory?
Doesn’t pose a soultion like RCT, only an explanation so somewhat limited.
What is the testability of Social Identity Theory?
Can’t empirically test
