Threats to social identity can trigger social deviance. 2015

Peter Belmi, and Rodolfo Cortes Barragan, and Margaret A Neale, and Geoffrey L Cohen
Stanford University, CA, USA pbelmi@stanford.edu.

We hypothesized that threats to people's social (i.e., group) identity can trigger deviant attitudes and behaviors. A correlational study and five experiments showed that experiencing or recalling situations associated with the devaluation of a social identity caused participants to endorse or engage in deviant actions, including stealing, cheating, and lying. The effect was driven by the tendency to construe social identity threats not as isolated incidents but as symbolic of the continuing devaluation and disrespectful treatment of one's group. Supplementing sociological approaches to deviance and delinquency, the results suggest the relevance and utility of a social-psychological account.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D001290 Attitude An enduring, learned predisposition to behave in a consistent way toward a given class of objects, or a persistent mental and/or neural state of readiness to react to a certain class of objects, not as they are but as they are conceived to be. Sentiment,Attitudes,Opinions,Opinion,Sentiments
D012925 Social Conformity Behavioral or attitudinal compliance with recognized social patterns or standards. Conformity, Social,Conformities, Social,Social Conformities
D012933 Social Identification The process by which an aspect of self image is developed based on in-group preference or ethnocentrism and a perception of belonging to a social or cultural group. (From APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 8th ed.) Group Identification,Identification, Social,Professional Identification,Professional Identity Formation,Social Identity,Formation, Professional Identity,Formations, Professional Identity,Group Identifications,Identification, Group,Identification, Professional,Identifications, Group,Identifications, Professional,Identifications, Social,Identities, Social,Identity Formation, Professional,Identity Formations, Professional,Identity, Social,Professional Identifications,Professional Identity Formations,Social Identifications,Social Identities
D013240 Stereotyping An oversimplified perception or conception especially of persons, social groups, etc. Stigmatization
D055815 Young Adult A person between 19 and 24 years of age. Adult, Young,Adults, Young,Young Adults

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