Social identity theory extended: A SITE map for understanding intergroup relations
Lead Research Organisation:
CARDIFF UNIVERSITY
Department Name: Sch of Psychology
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Russell Spears (Principal Investigator / Fellow) |
Publications
Birchmeier, Zachary; Dietz-Uhler, Beth; Stasser, Garold
(2011)
Strategic Uses of Social Technology: An Interactive Perspective of Social Psychology
De Lemus S
(2012)
The power of a smile to move you: complementary submissiveness in women's posture as a function of gender salience and facial expression.
in Personality & social psychology bulletin
Jiménez-Moya G
(2015)
By Any Means Necessary? When and Why Low Group Identification Paradoxically Predicts Radical Collective Action
in Journal of Social Issues
Livingstone AG
(2011)
We feel, therefore we are: emotion as a basis for self-categorization and social action.
in Emotion (Washington, D.C.)
Livingstone AG
(2016)
"Fury, us": Anger as a basis for new group self-categories.
in Cognition & emotion
Nyklicek, Ivan; Vingerhoets, Ad; Zeelenberg, Marcel
(2010)
Emotion Regulation and Well-Being
Postmes T
(2013)
Psychology and the Internet: Building an Integrative Social Cognitive Research Agenda
in Psychological Inquiry
Reicher S
(2012)
A social mind: The context of John Turner's work and its influence
in European Review of Social Psychology
Russell Spears (Author)
(2009)
Discrimination and differentiation between groups : mechanisms, moderators, (e)motives
Saab R
(2015)
Acting in solidarity: Testing an extended dual pathway model of collective action by bystander group members.
in The British journal of social psychology
| Description | Key findings that supported hypotheses were that the expression of group-based emotions was sensitive to the audience to whom these were expressed. This was demonstrated in two main ways. With respect to schadenfreude, we found that this emotions was more likely to be expressed when seen as normative but more likely to be suppressed when expressed to an out-group audience that is the target of schadenfreude. A second line of findings concerns how disadvantaged groups cope and react to their disadvantaged status, especially when this looks hopeless (the nothing-to-lose effect). We already had suggestive evidence that groups with stable low status may resort to more extreme or radical forms of collective action. The research conducted a number of studies to replicate and validate this effect and of the efficacy-based and emotional based route producing it. This research confirmed evidence for the NTL effect, namely that powerless groups could be more likely to resort to extreme measures, especially under stable low status. However, attempts to generalize this by testing experimentally whether low group efficacy would result in more radical action (as we showed in correlational research; see Tausch et al., 2011) produced more mixed results. Part of the explanation effects lies in the strategic audience effects (SIDE model), namely that whereas low efficacy can promote radical responses, it also leads to vulnerability when identifiable to the out-group. We are currently following up these to tease apart these effects, and for this reason the paper reporting these effects awaits resubmission. The paper is now in submission. |
| Exploitation Route | I am currently involved in a number of collaborations (including my now research) which follow up on the research finding on the nothing-to-lose effect in particular. This was central to the research of a co-supervised PhD in Spain (Gloria-Jimenez-Moya) and there is a paper on this currently in press at the Journal of Social issues. My collaboration with Dr Catia Teixeira (Postdoc funded by FNRS in Belgium) focus on how majority groups react to disadvantaged groups that adopt moderate or more radical protest strategies relevant o the nothing-to lose effect (we currently have an ERC Marie Curie fellowship in submission to develop this research) |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Education,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Security and Diplomacy |
| Description | My research has primarily impacted on the academic community, as evidenced by a number of invitations for talks and conferences. The influence has been both internal, within the network of collaborators and students, and also external, within the wider academic community. The ideas on radical action have influenced close collaborators working on collective action and have had direct input into two publications in high impact journals, notably Tausch et al. (2011, JPSP) and Van Zomeren et al., (2012) (see above). These ideas have also been picked up by other researchers working in radicalization, such as Louis (Queensland) and Thomas (Murdoch) and Doosje (Amsterdam). The research on the social sharing of emotions especially to ingroup audiences, also informed other research collaborations funded by the ESRC (with Manstead, Leach, Livingstone). Although it was not possible to appoint a linked studentship (see EoA report) my PhD students contemporaneous with the fellowship and appointed since (at Groningen) have addressed themes developed with the fellowship: Saab focused on radical collective action (developing the NTL hypothesis); Sweetman (ESRC funded) focus on, inter alia, collective action by and on behalf of disadvantaged groups and the role of group based emotions in inhibiting as well as promoting this; Shepherd (ESRC funded) focused on anticipated group-based emotions and collective action and discrimination. This research has generated publications in top journals (e.g., 3 papers in JESP). Current PhDs Groningen (x3) also focus on group-based emotions, resistance to disadvantaged and the strategic presentation of group emotions to different group audiences. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2010 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | Nothing to lose effect |
| Organisation | University of St Andrews |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | My ongoing collaboration with Dr Nicole Tausch (St Andrews) was relevant to the research of the fellowship, especially on the "nothing to lose effect" relating to radicalization of disadvantaged groups (see also outputs: Tausch et al., 2011; Spears et al. in prep). We also co-supervised a PhD student (Dr Reem Saab) on this topic and a joint collaboration with the three of us on collective action and support for violence continues. |
| Description | Tony Manstead and Andrew Livingstone |
| Organisation | Cardiff University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | My ongoing collaboration with Prof tony Manstead (Cardiff) and Dr Andrew Livingstone and Dr Lee Shepherd (Stirling) on the role of group based mentions and emergent social identities identities (started on a previous ESRC grant) and is closely related to (and part of my work during) my fellowship. |
| Description | "Nothing to lose" : desperate circumstances require desperate measures |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Invited presentation, Symposium in honour of Amélie Mummendey, Jena, June. Abstract: Classical social identity theory predicts social competition (e.g. conflict, collective action), under conditions that promote insecure social comparisons between unequal groups (i.e. status instability and illegitimacy). This raises the question of what happens to groups whose disadvantage is stable and legitimate. We argue that such groups do not sit back and accept their disadvantage. On the contrary, such conditions can lead to more extreme behaviour. We describe research supporting a strategy we call "Nothing to lose", and present a revised and extended version of social identity theory (RESIT) that explains when and why more extreme forms of intergroup behaviour occur. Presentation slides are available on request from author. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
| Description | "Nothing to lose" : further evidence for disempowered groups |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited colloquium, Padua, September, 2010. I received very positive feedback from postgraduate students attending my talk and have maintained close links with the group at Padua (and have returned since) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
| Description | "Nothing to lose": a provocative strategy of resistance for disempowered groups |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Paper at EASP general meeting Section not completed |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Intergroup emotions |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | "Las Emociones en los Grupos" - Invited keynote address (Jornadas análisis y conducción de grupos), University of Barcelona, Spain, November, 2009. This was a specially prepared keynote talk and was well received and led to many discussions during this conference (on problem was that many were primarily Spanish speaking but most could follow my talk). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
| Description | Intergroup schadenfreude : is there a bright side? (or just less dark) the role of legitimacy constraints |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Spears, R. (2009). Intergroup schadenfreude: Is there a bright side? (or just less dark) The role of legitimacy constraints. Invited symposium, Tilburg University, Netherlands. Some people attending asked for copes of my talk and research papers on which this was based. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |