Social Identity Theory

By:Dwone JohnsonLucia Mueller

What is the social identity theory?

Social Identity assumes that individuals strive to improve their self image by trying to enhance their self esteem, based on either personal identity or various social identities. People can boost their self esteem through personal

achievement or through affiliation with successful groups The theory itself has been used to explain social

phenomena such as, in-group favouritism and stereotyping.

Henri Tajfel

Argues that people who belong to a group, or when people are randomly assigned to a group; they automatically think of that group as their in-group (us) and others as an out-group (them). The in-group will exhibit

favouritism, and a pattern of discrimination towards the out-group.

Henri Tajfel cont’d

Tajfel found that when people are casually assigned to a group; either by a flip of a coin, or drawing a number from a hat; they see themselves as being similar in attitude and behavior and they form a bond, even if they did not know each other before the assignment.

Social Comparison

An individual’s self esteem is maintained by social comparison which is, the benefits of belonging to the in-group versus the out-group. The outcome of these comparisons are

critical because it influences our own self-esteem.

Cialdini et al. (1960)

Conducted his study among college football supporters

After a successful football game, the supporters were more likely to be seen wearing college apparel and clothing than after defeats. After these results, it was assumed that our

need for a positive self-concept will result in a bias in these intergroup comparisons.

Tajfel et al. (1971)

In the Kandinsky and Klee experiment, Tajfel observed that boys who were assigned to a group, based on their supposed preference for the art of either Kandinsky or Klee, were willing to give higher awards to the members of their own group.

For ratings of in-group and out-group on traits such as likeability, it was found that the out-group was rated less likeable.

Social Identity Theory Limitations

It describes but does not accurately predict human behavior

It fails to address the environmental that interacts with “self.”Societal constraints such as poverty may

play more of a role in behaviour than one’s own sense of in-group identity.