TY - JOUR
T1 - Antecedents and consequences of Social identity complexity
T2 - Intergroup contact, distinctiveness threat, and outgroup attitudes
AU - Schmid, K.
AU - Hewstone, Miles
AU - Tausch, Nicole
AU - Cairns, Ed
AU - Hughes, Joanne
PY - 2009/8
Y1 - 2009/8
N2 - Social identity complexity defines people's more or less complex cognitive representations of the interrelationships among their multiple ingroup identities. Being high in complexity is contingent on situational, cognitive, or motivational factors, and has positive consequences for intergroup relations. Two survey studies conducted in Northern Ireland examined the extent to which intergroup contact and distinctiveness threat act as antecedents, and outgroup attitudes as consequences, of social identity complexity. In both studies, contact was positively, and distinctiveness threat negatively, associated with complex multiple ingroup perceptions, whereas respondents with more complex identity structures also reported more favorable outgroup attitudes. Social identity complexity also mediated the effects of contact and distinctiveness threat on attitudes. This research highlights that the extent to which individuals perceive their multiple ingroups in more or less complex and differentiated ways is of central importance to understanding intergroup phenomena.
AB - Social identity complexity defines people's more or less complex cognitive representations of the interrelationships among their multiple ingroup identities. Being high in complexity is contingent on situational, cognitive, or motivational factors, and has positive consequences for intergroup relations. Two survey studies conducted in Northern Ireland examined the extent to which intergroup contact and distinctiveness threat act as antecedents, and outgroup attitudes as consequences, of social identity complexity. In both studies, contact was positively, and distinctiveness threat negatively, associated with complex multiple ingroup perceptions, whereas respondents with more complex identity structures also reported more favorable outgroup attitudes. Social identity complexity also mediated the effects of contact and distinctiveness threat on attitudes. This research highlights that the extent to which individuals perceive their multiple ingroups in more or less complex and differentiated ways is of central importance to understanding intergroup phenomena.
KW - Distinctiveness threat
KW - Ingroup bias
KW - Intergroup contact
KW - Multiple categorization
KW - Social identity complexity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=69149111093&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0146167209337037
DO - 10.1177/0146167209337037
M3 - Article
C2 - 19506033
AN - SCOPUS:69149111093
SN - 0146-1672
VL - 35
SP - 1085
EP - 1098
JO - Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
JF - Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
IS - 8
ER -