TY - JOUR
T1 - From Student to Employee
T2 - Group Compatibility Predicts Group Identification and Intergroup Attitudes
AU - Loughnane, Jack
AU - Roth, Jenny
AU - Rauner, Milena
AU - Strack, Fritz
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Transitions go along with the need to integrate a previous outgroup into the self-concept. This study examines whether this integration follows cognitive consistency principles. In line with recent theorizing, we test whether the perceived compatibility of a previous and a current ingroup determines identification with these groups and intergroup attitudes. We primed employees who were former students (N = 269) to perceive the groups of students and employees as either more compatible or less compatible, and measured the strength of identification and group attitudes with regard to both groups. The findings largely confirmed predictions. Greater compatibility between social groups increased identity integration and reduced intergroup bias. Identity integration mediated the effect of compatibility on intergroup bias. In line with predictions, the voluntariness of group change explained which of the groups people identified more strongly with when groups were perceived low in compatibility. The results of the study provide evidence that integrating identities into the self-concept follows cognitive consistency principles and suggests that emphasizing similarities between previous and current ingroups fosters identity integration and reduces intergroup bias.
AB - Transitions go along with the need to integrate a previous outgroup into the self-concept. This study examines whether this integration follows cognitive consistency principles. In line with recent theorizing, we test whether the perceived compatibility of a previous and a current ingroup determines identification with these groups and intergroup attitudes. We primed employees who were former students (N = 269) to perceive the groups of students and employees as either more compatible or less compatible, and measured the strength of identification and group attitudes with regard to both groups. The findings largely confirmed predictions. Greater compatibility between social groups increased identity integration and reduced intergroup bias. Identity integration mediated the effect of compatibility on intergroup bias. In line with predictions, the voluntariness of group change explained which of the groups people identified more strongly with when groups were perceived low in compatibility. The results of the study provide evidence that integrating identities into the self-concept follows cognitive consistency principles and suggests that emphasizing similarities between previous and current ingroups fosters identity integration and reduces intergroup bias.
KW - Group change
KW - intergroup bias
KW - multiple social identities
KW - social identification
KW - social identity integration
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85102950747&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/15283488.2021.1896522
DO - 10.1080/15283488.2021.1896522
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85102950747
SN - 1528-3488
VL - 21
SP - 131
EP - 143
JO - Identity
JF - Identity
IS - 2
ER -