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Checking understanding: SIT

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  • Checking understanding: SIT

The following page is to revise the key concepts, research and critical thinking for the topic "social identity." 

Start with the Powerpoint presentation below. It will walk you through a potential essay on the topic.

This is followed by a set of "checking for understanding questions."

At the bottom of the page, you will also find a Quizlet that will help to revise important vocabulary and research relevant to the theory.

Checking for understanding

1. Describe each of the three steps of Social Identity Theory.

Step 1 is social categorization, which is identifying with a group based on characteristics. As Tajfel & Turner showed, it does not take much to identify with a group - sometimes it is simply being told: "this is your group."  Through social categorization, we identify with an "in-group" and recognize others as part of an out-group. Step 2 is social comparison where we compare the characteristics of our group to out-groups in order to justify our belonging to the group. We also tend to adopt the traits of the groups.  Finally, we develop a sense of self-esteem which is connected to the group. This leads to in-group bias.

2. What is meant by salience? What role does it play in Social Identity Theory?

Salience is simply a keen sense of awareness - in this case, to a specific group identity.  So, in a discussion of US politics in the Czech Republic, I may have a keen awareness of being American during the conversation.  That is salience. In SIT it is argued that when one of our different group identities becomes salient, it is more likely to influence our behaviour.

3. Explain the study by Bagby & Rector with regard to Social Identity Theory.

Bagby & Rector found that Social Identity had an influence on the objectivity of a jury.  Jury members were more likely to find a member of an in-group as innocent or give him/her a lower sentence than if the accused was a member of the out-group.

4. According to Drury et al, how can Social Identity Theory be applied in an emergency situation?

According to Drury et al, people are less likely to panic and help one another in an emergency situation is they are reminded of their group membership. This can be done by making announcements that refer to them as "passengers, fellow New Yorkers, Yankees Fans...."  By making this part of their identity more salient - and reminding them that the others in this situation are all part of their in-group - this increases the level of cooperation.

5. What is meant by "the theory has high heuristic validity?"

This means that a theory has many different applications.  In the case of Social Identity Theory, it has been used to improve crowd control, explain parentification and sexuality, predict health behaviours and explain inter-group conflict.

6. What is meant by "the theory has low predictive validity?"

The theory is not able to clearly predict an individual's behaviour.  Not all people will feel the salience of a specific identity.  In addition, in a naturalistic situation, it is not clear which of one's many different social identities will be the one that will determine one's behaviour.

7. Describe the biological support that exists that social categorization is a natural process.

There is biological support that shows that our amgydala is automatically stimulated when exposed to an out-group.  This indicates that it is most likely a natural process for our brain to categorization people as either "friend or foe" as a matter of survival.

Quizlet