Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T15:09:47.510Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

16 - Changing Behavior Using Social Identity Processes

from Part I - Theory and Behavior Change

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2020

By
Katherine J. Reynolds ,
Nyla R. Branscombe ,
Emina Subašić  and
Loren Willis
Edited by
Martin S. Hagger ,
Linda D. Cameron ,
Kyra Hamilton ,
Nelli Hankonen  and
Taru Lintunen
Martin S. Hagger
Affiliation:
University of California, Merced
Linda D. Cameron
Affiliation:
University of California, Merced
Kyra Hamilton
Affiliation:
Griffith University
Nelli Hankonen
Affiliation:
University of Helsinki
Taru Lintunen
Affiliation:
University of Jyväskylä
Get access

Summary

Lewin (1951) recognized that it “is usually easier to change individuals formed into a group than to change any one of them separately” (p. 228). More than sixty-five years later, social identity theory (SIT; Tajfel & Turner, 1979) and self‐categorization theory (SCT; Turner et al., 1987; collectively referred to as the social identity perspective/approach) offer many insights into why and how this is the case. At the heart of the social identity perspective is a comprehensive and systematic theory of the “group,” which generated a new view of the self-process where humans are both individuals and group members with both personal (“I”) and social (“we”) identities. Importantly, social and personal identities can change and, in turn, so too can behavior. An important part of the behavior change “puzzle”, often overlooked by researchers, policy makers, and practitioners, is that it is necessary to engage not only the “I” or “me” but also the “we.” This chapter outlines the potential of social identity processes, including in-group norms and social influence, in advancing understanding of behavior change. Taken together, research and practice applying the social identity approach to behavior change demonstrate considerable promise in promoting change in group contexts and for multiple behaviors in multiple domains such as work, education, and community settings.

Keywords

social identity theorysocial categorization theorygroup processesingroup normsgroup identificationsocial influencesocial norms
Type
Chapter
Information
The Handbook of Behavior Change , pp. 225 - 236
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-tGoogle Scholar
Amiot, C. E., de la Sablonniere, R., Smith, L. G. E., & Smith, J. R. (2015). Capturing changes in social identities over time and how they become part of the self-concept. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 9, 171–187. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12169CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bizumic, B., Reynolds, K. J., Turner, J. C., Bromhead, D., & Subašić, E. (2009). The role of the group in individual functioning: School identification and the psychological well-being of staff and students. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 58, 171–192. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2008.00387.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Branscombe, N. R., Schmitt, M. T., & Harvey, R. D. (1999). Perceiving pervasive discrimination among African Americans: Implications for group identification and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 135–149. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.77.1.135CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Canetti, D., & Lindner, M. (2015). Exposure to political violence and political behavior: Psychological mechanisms of transformation. In Reynolds, K. J. & Branscombe, N. R. (Eds.), The Psychology of Change: Life Contexts, Experiences, and Identities (pp. 77–89). New York: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Cruwys, T., Platow, M. J., Angullia, S. A. et al. (2012). Modelling of food intake is moderated by salient psychological group membership. Appetite, 58, 754–757. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2011.12.002CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duffy, A. L., & Nesdale, D. (2009). Peer groups, social identity, and children’s bullying behavior. Social Development, 18, 121–139. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2008.00484.xGoogle Scholar
Folk, J. B., Mashek, D., Tangney, J., Stuewig, J., & Moore, K. E. (2015). Connectedness to the criminal community and the community at large predicts 1‐year post‐release outcomes among felony offenders. European Journal of Social Psychology, 46, 341–355. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2155CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guimond, S., Branscombe, N. R., Brunot, S. et al. (2007). Culture, gender, and the self: Variations and impact of social comparison processes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 1118–1134. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1118Google Scholar
Guimond, S., & de la Sablonniere, R. (2015). Psychological metamorphosis: Understanding the effects of institutions, roles, and dramatic social change on individuals. In Reynolds, K. J. & Branscombe, N., (Eds.), The Psychology of Change: Life Contexts, Experiences, and Identities (pp. 73–90). New York: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Hagger, M. S., Anderson, M., Kyriakaki, M., & Darkings, S. (2007). Aspects of identity and their influence on intentional behavior: Comparing effects for three health behaviors. Personality and Individual Differences, 42, 355–367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2006.07.017CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hansen, N., & Postmes, T. (2013). Broadening the scope of societal change research: Psychological, cultural, and political impacts of development aid. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1, 273–292. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.15Google Scholar
Haslam, C., Cruwys, T., Milne, M., Kan, C. H., & Haslam, S. A. (2016). Groups 4 Health: Evidence that a social-identity intervention that builds and strengthens social group membership improves mental health. Journal of Affective Disorders, 194, 188–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.01.010Google Scholar
Haslam, S. A. (2004). Psychology in Organizations. London: SAGE.Google Scholar
Haslam, S. A., Eggins, R. A., & Reynolds, K. J. (2003). The ASPIRe model: Actualizing social and personal identity resources to enhance organizational outcomes. Journal of Organizational and Occupational Psychology, 76, 83–113. https://doi.org/10.1348/096317903321208907Google Scholar
Hogg, M. A., & Reid, S. A. (2006). Social Identity, self‐categorization, and the communication of group norms. Communication Theory, 16, 7–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2006.00003.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jetten, J., Haslam, C., & Haslam, S. A. (Eds.) (2012). The Social Cure: Identity, Health and Well-Being. New York: Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315648569-16Google Scholar
Lee, E., Reynolds, K. J., Subašic, E. et al. (2017). Development of a dual school climate and school identification measure – student (SCASIM-St). Contemporary Educational Psychology, 49, 91–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2017.01.003Google Scholar
Lewin, K. (1951). Field Theory in Social Science: Selected Theoretical Papers. New York: Harper & Row.Google Scholar
Markus, H., & Wurf, E. (1987). The dynamic self-concept: A social psychological perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 38, 299–337. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.38.020187.001503CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maxwell, S., Reynolds, K. J., Lee, E., Subašic, E., & Bromhead, D. (2017). The impact of school climate and school identification on academic achievement: Multilevel modeling with student and teacher data. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 2069. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02069CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGarty, C., Haslam, S. A., Hutchinson, K. J., & Turner, J. C. (1994). The effects of salient group memberships on persuasion. Small Group Research, 25, 267–293. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496494252007Google Scholar
Mols, F., Haslam, S. A., Jetten, J., & Steffens, N. K. (2015). Why a nudge is not enough. European Journal of Political Research, 54, 81–98. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6765.12073Google Scholar
Neighbors, C., LaBrie, J. W., Hummer, J. F. et al. (2010). Group identification as a moderator of the relationship between perceived social norms and alcohol consumption. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 24, 522–528. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019944CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Onorato, R. S., & Turner, J. C. (2004). Fluidity in the self-concept: The shift from personal to social identity. European Journal of Social Psychology, 34, 257–278. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.195CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oyserman, D. (2007). Social identity and self-regulation. In Kruglanski, A. W. & Higgins, E. T. (Eds.), Social Psychology: Handbook of Basic Principles (2nd ed., pp. 432–453). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Paluck, E. L., Shepherd, H., & Aronow, P. M. (2016). Changing climates of conflict: A social network experiment in 56 schools. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113, 566–571. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1514483113Google Scholar
Perkins, H. W., Linkenbach, J. W., Lewis, M. A., & Neighbors, C. (2010). Effectiveness of social norms media marketing in reducing drinking and driving: A statewide campaign. Addictive Behavior, 35, 866–874. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2010.05.004Google Scholar
Reicher, S., Haslam, S. A., & Hopkins, N. (2005). Social identity and the dynamics of leadership: Leaders and followers as collaborative agents in the transformation of social reality. The Leadership Quarterly, 16, 547–568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.06.007Google Scholar
Reynolds, K. J. & Branscombe, N. R. (2015). Advancing the psychology of change. In Reynolds, K. J. & Branscombe, N., (Eds.), The Psychology of Change: Life Contexts, Experiences, and Identities (pp. 265–281). New York: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Reynolds, K. J., Lee, E., Subašic, E., Klik, K., & Bromhead, D. (2019). Social identity processes and person change: A longitudinal investigation of student engagement in learning. Unpublished manuscript, Australian National University.Google Scholar
Reynolds, K. J., Lee, E., Turner, I., Bromhead, D & Subašic, E. (2017). How does school climate impact on academic achievement? An examination of social identity processes. School Psychology International, 38, 78–97. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034316682295Google Scholar
Reynolds, K. J., Subašić, E., & Tindall, K. (2015). The problem of behavior change: From social norms to an ingroup focus. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 9, 45–56. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12155CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryan, M. K., David, B., & Reynolds, K. J. (2004). Who cares? The effect of gender and context on the self and moral reasoning. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 28, 246–255. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2004.00142.xGoogle Scholar
Simon, B. (2004). Identity in the Modern Society: A Social Psychological Perspective. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Specht, J., Egloff, B., & Schmukle, S. C. (2011). Stability and change of personality across the life course: the impact of age and major life events on mean-level and rank-order stability of the Big Five. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101, 862–882. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024950CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Subašić, E., Reynolds, K. J., & Turner, J. C. (2008). The political solidarity model of social change: Dynamics of self-categorization in intergroup power relations. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 12, 330–352. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868308323223CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sugai, G., Horner, R. H., Dunlap, G. et al. (2000). Applying positive behavior support and functional behavioral assessment in schools. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 2, 131–143.Google Scholar
Tajfel, H. (1972). La catégorization sociale [Social categorization]. In Moscovici, S. (Ed.), Introduction à la psychologie sociale [Introduction to Social Psychology], Vol. 1 (pp. 272–302). Paris: Larousse.Google Scholar
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In Austin, W. G. & Worchel, S. (Eds.), The Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations (pp. 33–47). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.Google Scholar
Terry, D. J., & Hogg, M. A. (1996). Group norms and the attitude-behavior relationship: A role for group identification. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22, 776–793. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167296228002Google Scholar
Trafimow, D., Silverman, E. S., Fan, R. M.-T., & Fun Law, J. S. (1997). The effects of language and priming on the relative accessibility of the private self and the collective self. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 28, 107–123. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022197281007Google Scholar
Turner, I., Reynolds, K. J., Lee, E., Subašić, E., & Bromhead, D. (2018). Understanding aggression and victimization: Negative binomial modelling with supportive school climate, mental health, and social identity mediation. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 4, 380–402. https://doi.org/10.1037/tps0000174Google Scholar
Turner, J. C. (1991). Social Influence. Buckingham: Open University Press.Google Scholar
Turner, J. C., Hogg, M. A., Oakes, P., Reicher, S. D., & Wetherell, M. (1987). Rediscovering the Social Group: A Self-Categorization Theory. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Turner, J. C., & Oakes, P. J. (1997). The socially structured mind. In McGarty, C. & Haslam, S. A. (Eds.), The Message of Social Psychology: Perspectives on Mind in Society (pp. 355–373).Malden, MA: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Turner, J. C., Oakes, P. J., Haslam, S. A., & McGarty, C. A. (1994). Self and collective: Cognition and social context. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 20, 454–463. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167294205002Google Scholar
Twenge, J. M. (2015). The age in which we live and its impact on the person. In Reynolds, K. J., & Branscombe, N. R. (Eds.), Psychology of Change: Life Contexts, Experiences, and Identities (pp. 44–58). New York: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Tyler, T. R., & Blader, S. L. (2000). Cooperation in Groups: Procedural Justice, Social Identity, and Behavioral Engagement. Philadelphia: Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203782842Google Scholar
Turner, I., Reynolds, K. J., Lee, E., Subašić, E., & Bromhead, D. (2014). Well-being, school climate and the social identity process: A latent growth model study of bullying perpetration and peer victimization. School Psychology Quarterly, 29, 320–335. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000074Google Scholar
Vestergren, S., Drury, J., & Chiriac, E. H. (2018). How collective action produces psychological change and how that change endures over time: A case study of an environmental campaign. British Journal of Social Psychology, 57, 855–877. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12270Google Scholar
Willis, L., Lee, E., Klik, K., & Reynolds, K. J. (2020). The theory of planned behavior and social identity processes: A new look in the context of student binge drinking. Manuscript submitted for publication. Europe’s Journal of Psychology.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×