Can self-verification strivings fully transcend the self–other barrier? Seeking verification of ingroup identities

Bibliographic Data

ID6206677
AuthorsAntonio Gomez (0000-0002-4287-4916, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia), Ángel Gómez, D Conor Seyle (0000-0001-8058-8286, The University of Texas at Austin), Carmen Huici (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia), William B Swann (0000-0002-8698-2994)
Year2009
Volume97
Issue6
Pages1021-1044
Publication date2009-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/a0016358
PMID19968417
OpenAlexW2120135061
LanguageEN
Citations received19
References cited76

Recent research has demonstrated self-verification strivings in groups, such that people strive to verify collective identities, which are personal self-views (e.g., "sensitive") associated with group membership (e.g., "women"). Such demonstrations stop short of showing that the desire for self-verification can fully transcend the self-other barrier, as in people working to verify ingroup identities (e.g., "Americans are loud") even when such identities are not self-descriptive ("I am quiet and unassuming"). Five studies focus on such ingroup verification strivings. Results indicate that people prefer to interact with individuals who verify their ingroup identities over those who enhance these identities (Experiments 1-5). Strivings for ingroup identity verification were independent of the extent to which the identities were self-descriptive but were stronger among participants who were highly invested in their ingroup identities, as reflected in high certainty of these identities (Experiments 1-4) and high identification with the group (Experiments 1-5). In addition, whereas past demonstrations of self-verification strivings have been limited to efforts to verify the content of identities (Experiments 1 to 3), the findings also show that they strive to verify the valence of their identities (i.e., the extent to which the identities are valued; Experiments 4 and 5). Self-verification strivings, rather than self-enhancement strivings, appeared to motivate participants' strivings for ingroup identity verification. Links to collective self-verification strivings and social identity theory are discussed

Collective identity · Identity (music) · Ingroups and outgroups · Self · Social group · Social identity theory · Cultural Differences and Values · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Power and Status Dynamics · Social Psychology

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