Project Details
Projekt
Group-level versus individual-level effects of shared social identities
Subject Area
Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology
Term
since 2018
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 409032729
A shared social identity and a strong identification with a social group, for example a work team, can act as a stress buffer and increase well-being. However, while these positive effects of a shared social identity are well-established, less is known about the specific underlying mechanisms, particularly as these may unfold on a group-level (e.g., mutual social support) but also on an individual level (e.g., appraisal and attribution processes). The major objective of this research project is to conceptually and empirically disentangle group-level and individual-level effects of shared social identity on well-being. To this end, we developed a theoretical model differentiating three distinct aspects of a shared social identity: a) the group member’s individual identification, which should be linked to well-being via shifts in attribution, resulting in a more benevolent perception of social support, b) group identification (i.e., the average identification within a group), which should be linked to well-being by increased mutual support and increased collective self-efficacy, and c) individually perceived group identification, which should be linked to well-being by a shift in appraisal processes from the individual-level to the group-level. In a first project phase we refined and published our theoretical model and tested our propositions in a total of thirteen empirical studies. Overall, these studies provided good support with respect to individual identification, whereas the mechanisms expected for group identification and individually perceived group identification need further examination (particularly because parts of the planned more complex study designs could not be realized due to COVID-19 lockdown regulations). In the second project phase, we plan to achieve three objectives: First, we will focus on the group-level as a predictor of mutual social support and provide first-time group-level data. Second, we will establish the new construct of individually perceived group identification and investigate automatic and largely unconscious appraisal processes. Third, we will examine the effects of relative identification (i.e., consequences of positive and negative deviations of individual identification from group identification). To ensure both, high ecological validity and high internal validity regarding causation, real behavior and objective indicators of well-being, we will pursue a mixed-method approach combining field studies and lab-based experimental studies. We plan to conduct four studies to address our research questions: one multi-wave field study with employees nested in teams, a semi-qualitative interview study and two high-powered lab-based experimental studies with teamwork simulations and objective measures of behavior and well-being.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
