Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Group identity'

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 1999.
Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-92). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users. Address: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p9955915.

Thesis (M.A. in National Security Affairs) Naval Postgraduate School, Dec. 2000.
Thesis advisors, Glenn Robinson, Anna Simons. "December 2000." Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-107). Also available in print.

Des etudes anterieures ont ete incapbles de determiner quels facteurs sous-tendent l'identite sociale. A l'aide de plusieurs innovations methodologiques (une mesure permettant d'exprimer librement les facteurs relies a l'identite sociale, le fait de choisir l'endogroupe et l'exogroupe et une conceptualisation de l'identite sociale comme etant composee de l'attirance envers l'endogroupe et du rejet par l'exogroupe), cette etude avait pour but d'etudier l'influence des trois facteurs postules par Tajfel (cognition, emotions et evaluation) et les croyances symboliques (coutumes, valeurs et normes) sur l'identite sociale. Les resultats de cette etude indiquent qu'une evaluation positive de l'endogroupe, les emotions positives envers l'endogroupe et une evaluation negative de l'exogroupe menacant sont associees a une identification sociale plus forte. De plus, les resultats de cette etude demontrent qu'une difference individuelle (A quel point vous percevez-vous comme un membre typique de votre groupe?) est associee a des facteurs relies a l'endogroupe (une identification plus forte et une integration du concept de soi plus eleve) et a l'exogroupe (menace intergroupe, discrimination personnelle et collective).

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate whether the effect of group identity on individuals' willingness to cooperate is moderated by benefit asymmetry (i.e., mutual cooperation may benefit some group members more than others). I conduct an experiment in which participants act as group members for a hypothetical company. Consistent with expectations, I find that a strong group identity promotes employees' cooperation rates, but only in situations in which benefits resulting from mutual cooperation are symmetric. When the benefits are asymmetric, employees' willingness to cooperate depends on whether they are disadvantaged or advantaged as well as the level of group identity. Specifically, the disadvantaged employees are less likely to cooperate when group identity is high. In contrast, the advantaged ones' willingness to cooperate is unaffected by the level of group identity. Results of my study suggest that, in situations of benefit asymmetry, inducing a high level of group identity may have unintended negative consequences on group performance as well as organizational productivity.

I have from my publications selected one book and four articles I believe show an inherent theoretical and methodological consistency within the field of onomastics. The following are submitted: Mål og med, Målføre og médnamn frå Smøla, Tapir Akademisk Forlag, Trondheim 2000; ‘Sjønamn på medfjella’, in Namn of Nemne 15/1998 (:21-31); ‘Norse Topographical Names on the West Coast of Scotland’, in Scandinavia and Europe 800-1350 Contact, conflict and co-existence, ed. By J. Adams and K. Holman, Brepols, 2004 (:97-108); ‘Explorers, Raiders and Settlers. The Norse Impact on Hebridean Place-Names’, in Cultural Contacts in the North Atlantic Region: The Evidence of Names, ed. By P. Gammeltoft, C. Hough and D. Waugh, 2005 (:141-56), and ‘Scandinavian-American place-names as viewed from the Old World’, in Language Contact Across the Atlantic, ed. By I. Clarkson and S. Ureland, Tübingen, 1996 (:255-67). In addition I submit an essay ‘Fashion, Limitation and Nostalgia: Scandinavian Place-Names Abroad’, which discusses the underlying theory of the selected work. The book and articles argue the importance of considering the user-group when analysing patterns concerning distribution and time-span of productive use of classes of place-names. I have built on and extended theoretical ideas from Magnus Olsen, who was the first to show that our inventory of names is dependent upon the group(s) we function within, and from WHF Nicolaisen’s writings about our individual onomasticon.  In my book and articles it is shown how this is of importance within a fisherman’s milieu on the west coast of Norway, where highly specialised place-names are part of a very restricted and exclusive in-group language. Further, it is demonstrated that certain strata of Norse names in Scotland belong to time periods when the Norse arrived as explorers, while other names date to when the Norse came as settlers. Finally, this is exemplified with Scandinavian place-names from the relatively recent immigration to North America, where it is demonstrated that place-names fulfil a function as cultural signs within an immigrant group in need of identity markers.

The current project investigates exclusion in terms of racial/ethnic identity and group behavioral norms. Research concerning the "black sheep effect" evidences the tendency for group members to derogate a fellow in-group member who has violated an important social norm (Marques, Yzerbyt, & Leyens, 1988). Similarly, Oyserman's (2007) model of identity-based motivation argues that any group identity can shape behavior through a process of identity infusion such that group members are motivated to behave in ways that are in-group identity-infused and equally avoid behaviors that are out-group identity-infused. Finally, identity misclassification research provides evidence that individuals feel threatened by the notion that they may have behaved in ways that are congruent with an out-group (e.g., Bosson, Prewitt-Freillino, & Taylor, 2005). Therefore, when a behavior is infused with the identity of an out-group, avoiding such behaviors is seen as an expression of belonging to one's in-group. The current project assesses the consequences of group identity-infusion specifically in the area of academics and racial/ethnic identity. In Study 1, identity-threatened participants who were excluded by an in-group member attributed their exclusion to their out-group identity-infused behavior, but they did not expect exclusion, nor experience heightened negative emotions or anxiety as a result of exclusion. In Study 2, though strongly identified participants were more likely to choose an identity-affirmed partner regardless of task condition, no differences were found for ratings of potential partners. Future research should address ecological validity issues and attempt to make more naturalistic observations of these behavioral patterns. Additionally, a younger sample should be used in order to assess exclusion for "acting White" among students who are legally required to be in school, rather than those who have chosen to pursue higher education.

Since rock became the subject of academic study, its attendant ideology has been scrutinised and its mythical and Romantic components exposed. Largely absent from this account has been a thorough analysis of the phenomenon of the ‘band’. The role of individual acts and the wider contexts in which they worked has been discussed at the expense of an examination of an important form of music-making. This thesis seeks to address that gap. Using a mixture of literary research and ethnography, I present an overall picture of the band as a modus operandum, charting its evolution during the emergence of rock and presenting evidence that it has become a key means by which people enter and engage with the field of popular music. I suggest that debates about ‘authenticity’ in rock, in seeking to see through industry rhetoric have overlooked the way in which creativity in bands is closely connected to social interaction. My historical analysis brings to light the way in which the group- identified band has become embedded into popular music practice through the power of narratives.Two case studies, contextualised with archival material and interviews, form the basis for a model for collective creativity. By demonstrating how social action and narrative myth feed into one another, I argue that the group identity of a band is the core of the industrially mediated texts to which audiences respond. Our understanding of how authenticity is ascribed in popular music, and rock in particular, has paid too much attention to genre-based arguments and not enough to musical and social methods. I propose a way of revising this to take better account of rock as an actual practice.

This thesis studies the effect of uncertainty in the group identity or the payoffs on social preferences. It also tests the robustness of Dana, Weber and Kuang's results and presents a model to understand the findings of the experiment. Chapter 1 investigates the effect of uncertainty in group membership of the subjects on social preferences. We find that the decision to know the group identity of the counterparts' who turn out to be an in-group member in the dictator and response games increases the likelihood of choosing the social-welfare-maximising outcome. The revelation of matched player's identity decreases the likelihood to reward and increases the likelihood to punish. Chapter 2, studies the effect of uncertainty in payoffs on social preferences in the presence of group identity. We find that the uncertainty on payoffs does not reduce the fair choices if the subjects are matched with an in-group member. However, the decision to know the payoffs of an out-group counterpart increases the likelihood of choosing self-interested choice. Chapter 3 tests the robustness of Dana, Weber and Kuang's result in a within-subjects experiment. Our data confirm the DWK's findings, but there is an increase in the number of self-interested choices in the hidden-payoffs treatment. Chapter 4 presents a model that combine Fehr and Schmidt preferences and prospect theory in order to understand the result of second treatment of DWK's experiment. In the treatment, the subjects have an option to reveal their counterparts' payoffs. We find a threshold for β = 1/5 beyond which the utility of revealing he hidden payoffs and choose the fair choice is higher than not revealing. Also, the combination of Fehr-Schmidt preferences with two alternative decision theories, expected utility and prospect theory, produce the same β.

Com a individus, definim les nostres identitats de grup mitjançant la categorització dels altres individus i de nosaltres mateixos en moltes categories socials com la de gènere, raça, religió, nacionalitat, conviccions polítiques i professió, entre moltes altres. Aquest procés de categorització ens confereix una noció de "qui" som, a quins grups socials pertanyem i, el que és més important, com s'espera que ens comportem. Aquesta tesi gira entorn a dos fenòmens d'especial rellevància en la literatura sobre la identitat de grup; la discriminació i els conflictes intergrupals. La identitat de grup es considera un factor subjacent de les conductes discriminatòries i l'aparició de conflictes entre membres de diferents grups socials. Hi ha una àmplia evidència que mostra que la mera categorització en categories socials és suficient per desencadenar conductes discriminatòries contra membres d'altres grups socials. A més, la història de la humanitat ofereix molts exemples de conflictes i genocidis més arrelats en la diversitat d'identitats de grup que en les disputes econòmiques. No obstant això, no tots els membres d'un grup social discriminen en la mateixa magnitud, ni tots els grups socials estan involucrats en conflictes. El primer treball d'aquesta tesi proposa una mesura empírica que va més enllà de la categorització dels individus en categories socials. Utilitzant la voluntat d'adquirir béns representatius de grups socials, aquest article mesura i quantifica la intensitat de la identitat de grup per investigar els factors que reforcen i atenuen la identitat de grup dels individus. Els resultats proporcionen evidència sobre com la convergència i divergència en els comportaments de membres d'un grup social reforcen i atenuen la intensitat de la identitat de grup dels individus, la qual cosa és crucial per predir l'aparició de conflictes intergrupals a nivell col·lectiu i forts graus de discriminació a nivell individual. La literatura que estudia els efectes de la identitat de grup en la presa de decisions individuals s'ha centrat principalment en estudiar la discriminació i els conflictes intergrupals assumint que la identitat de grup dels individus és coneguda i observable. No obstant això, moltes identitats de grup es basen en conviccions i creences que no són directament observables a partir dels trets físics dels individus i, per tant, poden ser incertes (per exemple, la religió i la ideologia). El segon treball presentat en aquesta tesi explora els efectes de la incertesa de la identitat de grup sobre els patrons de discriminació quan els individus decideixen amb qui interactuar, i les seves repercussions en l'eficiència de la coordinació col·lectiva. La gestió de la diversitat i incertesa de les identitats de grup és un factor important per determinar els guanys i l'èxit de les organitzacions i empreses, especialment quan la força laboral és diversa i pot tenir dificultats de coordinació i cooperació. Els resultats trobats en el segon treball mostren el paper que juga la incertesa de la identitat de grup en les preferències d'interacció dels individus i ofereixen diverses idees gerencials per dissuadir la discriminació entre els empleats alhora d’interactuar i augmentar la seva eficiència de coordinació quan treballen en equip. Finalment, l'últim treball presentat en aquesta tesi contribueix a la literatura de polítiques i intervencions orientades a mitigar la discriminació i els prejudicis entre membres de grups socials en conflicte. Si bé aquesta literatura s'ha centrat en estudiar com el contacte entre membres de diferents grups socials redueix la discriminació i els prejudicis, hi ha una manca d'evidència sobre intervencions amb les mateixes finalitats que no requereixin contacte entre individus. L'últim treball presentat en aquesta tesi explota un context natural en què els individus de dos grups socials actualment en conflicte es veuen obligats a cooperar per aconseguir un objectiu comú superior sense poder posar-se en contacte. Aquest context ofereix l'oportunitat de posar l'èmfasi no en el contacte entre individus sinó en els objectius comuns superiors com a factor atenuant de la discriminació. Els resultats mostren que els individus es van tornar més egoistes a mesura que s'aconseguia gradualment l'objectiu comú superior. A més, els individus d'un grup social en particular també van augmentar la seva discriminació a mesura que s'aconseguia gradualment l'objectiu comú. Aquests resultats mostren com els objectius comuns superiors poden esdevenir un factor mitigador de la discriminació i l'egoisme.
Como individuos, definimos nuestras identidades grupales mediante la categorización de los demás individuos y de nosotros mismos en muchas categorías sociales como la de género, raza, religión, nacionalidad, convicciones políticas y profesión, entre muchas otras. Este proceso de categorización nos confiere una noción de "quiénes" somos, a qué grupos sociales pertenecemos y, lo que es más importante, cómo se espera que nos comportemos. Esta tesis gira en torno a dos fenómenos de especial relevancia en la literatura sobre identidad grupal; la discriminación y los conflictos intergrupales. La identidad grupal se considera un factor subyacente de las conductas discriminatorias y la aparición de conflictos entre miembros de distintos grupos sociales. Existe una amplia evidencia que muestra que la mera categorización en categorías sociales es suficiente para desencadenar la discriminación contra miembros de otros grupos sociales. Además, la historia de la humanidad ofrece muchos ejemplos de conflictos y genocidios más arraigados en la diversidad de identidades grupales que en las disputas económicas. Sin embargo, no todos los miembros de un grupo social discriminan en la misma magnitud, ni todos los grupos sociales están involucrados en conflictos. El primer trabajo de esta tesis propone una medida empírica que va más allá de la categorización de los individuos en categorías sociales. Utilizando la voluntad de adquirir bienes representativos de grupos sociales, este artículo mide y cuantifica la intensidad de la identidad grupal para investigar los factores que refuerzan y atenúan la identidad grupal de los individuos. Los resultados encontrados proporcionan evidencia sobre cómo la convergencia y divergencia en los comportamientos de miembros de un grupo social refuerzan y atenúan la intensidad de la identidad grupal de los individuos, lo cual es crucial para predecir la aparición de conflictos intergrupales a nivel colectivo y fuertes grados de discriminación a nivel individual. La literatura que estudia los efectos de la identidad grupal en la toma de decisiones individuales se ha centrado principalmente en estudiar la discriminación y los conflictos intergrupales asumiendo que la identidad grupal de los individuos es conocida y observable. Sin embargo, muchas identidades grupales se basan en convicciones y creencias que no son directamente observables a partir de los rasgos físicos individuales y, por lo tanto, pueden ser inciertas (por ejemplo, la religión y la ideología). El segundo trabajo presentado en esta tesis explora los efectos de la incertidumbre de la identidad grupal sobre los patrones de discriminación cuando los individuos deciden con quién interactuar, y sus repercusiones en la eficiencia de la coordinación colectiva. La gestión de la diversidad e incertidumbre de las identidades grupales es un factor importante para determinar las ganancias y el éxito de las organizaciones y empresas, especialmente cuando la fuerza laboral es diversa y puede tener dificultades para coordinarse y cooperar. Los resultados encontrados en el segundo trabajo arrojan luz sobre el papel que juega la incertidumbre de la identidad grupal en las preferencias de interacción de los individuos y ofrecen varias ideas gerenciales para disuadir la discriminación entre los empleados para interactuar y aumentar su eficiencia de coordinación cuando trabajan en equipo. Finalmente, el último trabajo presentado en esta tesis contribuye a la literatura de políticas e intervenciones orientadas a mitigar la discriminación y los prejuicios entre miembros de grupos sociales en conflicto. Si bien esta literatura se ha centrado en estudiar cómo el contacto entre miembros de diferentes grupos sociales reduce la discriminación y los prejuicios, existe una falta de evidencia sobre intervenciones con los mismos fines que no requieran contacto entre individuos. El último trabajo presentado en esta tesis explota un contexto natural en el que los individuos de dos grupos sociales actualmente en conflicto se ven obligados a cooperar para lograr un objetivo común superior sin poder ponerse en contacto. Este contexto ofrece la oportunidad de poner el énfasis no en el contacto entre individuos sino en los objetivos comunes superiores como factor atenuante de la discriminación. Los resultados muestran que los individuos se volvieron más egoístas a medida que se lograba gradualmente el objetivo común superior. Además, los individuos de un grupo social en particular también aumentaron su discriminación a medida que se lograba gradualmente el objetivo común. Estos resultados muestran como los objetivos comunes superiores pueden mitigar la discriminación y el egoísmo.
As individuals, we define our group identities by categorizing others and ourselves into many social categories like gender, race, religion, nationality, political convictions, and profession, among many others. This categorization process confers us a notion of “who” we are, which social groups we belong, and more importantly, how we are expected to behave. This thesis revolves around two phenomena at the core of group identity literature; discrimination and intergroup conflicts. Group identity is considered an underlying factor of discriminatory behaviors and the emergence of conflicts between members of social groups. There is extensive evidence showing that the mere categorization into social categories is enough to trigger discrimination against members of other social groups. Moreover, human history provides many examples of conflicts and genocides rooted in group identity diversity more than in economic disputes. However, not all social group members discriminate in the same magnitude, nor all social groups are involved in conflicts. The first paper of this thesis proposes an empirical measure that goes beyond categorizing individuals into social categories. Using willingness to acquire representative goods of social groups, this paper measures and quantify group identity intensity to investigate reinforcing and attenuating factors of group identity. The results found provide evidence on how convergence and divergence in behaviors among social group members reinforce and attenuate the group identity intensity of individuals, which is crucial in predicting the emergence of intergroup conflicts at the collective level and strong degrees of discrimination at the individual level. The literature studying the effects of group identity on individual decision-making has largely focused on studying discrimination and intergroup conflicts assuming individuals’ group identity is known and observable. However, many group identities rely on convictions and beliefs that are not directly observable from individual physical traits, and therefore, might be uncertain (e.g. religion, ideology). The second paper presented in this thesis explores the effects of group identity uncertainty on discrimination patterns when individuals decide whom to interact with and its repercussions on collective coordination efficiency. Managing group identity diversity and uncertainty is a major factor in determining organizations and firms' profit and success, especially when a diverse workforce might find it difficult to coordinate and cooperate. The results found in the second paper shed light on the role group identity uncertainty plays in individual interaction preferences and offer several managerial insights for deterring discrimination among employees to interact and increase their coordination efficiency when working in teams. Finally, the last paper presented in this thesis, contributes to the literature of policies and interventions aimed at mitigating discrimination and prejudices between members of social groups in conflict. While this literature has focused on studying how the contact between members of different social groups reduces discrimination and prejudices, there is a lack of evidence on interventions with same purposes not requiring contact between individuals. The last paper presented in this thesis exploits a natural occurring context in which individuals of two social groups currently in conflict see themselves forced to cooperate in order to achieve a superordinate common goal without being able to get in contact. This context offers the opportunity to put the emphasis not in the contact between individuals but in the superordinate common goals as a mitigating factor of discrimination. Results show that individuals got more selfish as the superordinate common goal was gradually achieved. Furthermore, individuals from one social group also increased their discrimination as the common goal was gradually achieved. These results highlight superordinate common goals mitigate discrimination and selfishness.

Thesis (M.S. in Information Technology Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2007.
Thesis Advisor(s): Baretto, Buddy. "September 2007." Description based on title screen as viewed on October 25, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-73). Also available in print.

Cannabis continues to be the most widely used illicit drug, usually used recreationally without significant problems occurring. Concerns remain over long term health of users and the possibility of associations with mental illness. Surveys suggest regular use remains common amongst teenage males, taking place concurrently with the period when teenagers are engaged in identity development and making the transition to adult life. The thesis is based on qualitative interviews and ethnographic observation of two cohorts of male teenagers and interviews with a group in their late twenties reflecting on their teenage use. Methods and analysis draw pragmatically on ethnography and grounded theory, developing interpretations inductively before moving to relate the concepts generated to existing theory. Cannabis was smoked predominantly in the context of an extended social group. While the majority reported enjoying the effects of cannabis, smoking with this group was particularly valued for the social contexts it facilitated and maintained. Within these groups three orientations to use were observed differentiated by individuals level of commitment to cannabis, and their understanding of the functions of use. The teenagers saw cannabis use as a transitory phase which they expected to cease as adult roles were acquired, though this was considered a difficult and potentially protracted process. Adapting to an unchosen extended adolescence involved maintaining proxy roles, in which nascent aspects of identities could be expressed and developed. Social roles and relationships acted as a containers for the display and reflection of aspects of identity. The group provided a non-contingent context allowing for identity exploration, play and development. The contingency of closer ongoing familial and social roles limited opportunities for such exploration. Previous identity research has stressed close contingent relationships, the analysis suggests several mechanisms relating cannabis use to the importance of non-contingent relationships in times of identity transition.

Establishment and maintenance of transcriptional identity is the cornerstone of tissue organization and normal development in multicellular organisms. By establishing facultative heterochromatin, Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) and Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) constitute the main dynamic and plastic mechanism to maintain gene repression in eukaryotic cells. PRC1 and PRC2 modify histones by depositing H2AK119Ub1 and H3K27me3, respectively, and both can be further subdivided in multiple sub-complexes based on their biochemical composition. In particular, PRC1 can be subdivided in 6 different sub-complexes depending on which PCGF interacts with its catalytic subunits RING1A/B (PCGF1-6). It is not clear if these sub-complexes act redundantly to maintain PRC1 function or if instead they have specific activities. It is also under debate which is the role of its catalytic product, H2AK119Ub1, in establishing PcG-mediated gene repression. Here, by combining the use of engineered mouse embryonic stem cell lines (mESC) and transgenic mice, we have been able to delete individual PRC1 sub-complexes in vitro and in vivo to assess their roles in orchestrating PRC1 function. Our data show that individual PRC1 sub-complexes regulate distinct biological processes and are able to maintain binding specificity both in vitro and in vivo. We also demonstrate that PRC1.1 and PRC1.2/4 are responsible for the maintenance of most of H2AK119Ub1 levels associated with promoter regions, however, the residual PRC1 activity from PRC1.3/5 and PRC1.6 is enough to maintain low H2AK119Ub1 levels and PcG-mediated gene repression. Finally, by using a fully catalytic inactive PRC1 in mESC, we demonstrate that H2AK119Ub1 constitutes the central hub of PcG-mediated gene repression. Complete loss of H2AK119Ub1 abolishes PcG-mediated gene repression and induces the disassembly of PcG chromatin domains by displacing PRC2.2 and cPRC1 from chromatin. Importantly, removal of PRC2 and H3K27me3 does not phenocopy H2AK119Ub1 loss, demonstrating that H2AK119Ub1 is central to PcG system function.

This study assessed the personal, career and learning skills needs of 196 psychology students (M= 56, F= 103). The preferred means of counselling assistance, preferred experience of counselling and preferred counselling provider were also assessed. The most highly endorsed needs were time management skills (83.5 pecent, n=162), learning test-taking strategies (82 percent, n=159), job search strategies (73.6 percent, n=142), increasing self-confidence (70.3 percent, n=135), increasing motivation (72.4 percent, n=134), controlling anxiety and nervousness (68.7 percent, n=134), public speaking anxiety (68 percent, n=134), understanding career interests and abilities (67.5 percent, n=131), fear of failure (68.1 percent, n=130), and improving study skills (66.5 percent, n=129). Significant sex differences were found for the following, finding a greater purpose in life, controlling weight, job search strategies, concerns about career choice, understanding career interests and abilities in the selection of major subjects and improving study skills. Males highly endorsed the need for finding a greater purpose in life, job search strategies, and concern about career choice, understanding career interest and abilities, selection of major subjects and to improve study skills, whereas females endorsed the need for controlling weight. Respondents indicated individual counselling as being their preferred means of counselling assistance, but lectures were the most prevalent means of assistance previously received by respondents. Most respondents (78.1 percent) found the assistance they had received to be helpful.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, 2002.
"A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy" Bibliography : leaves [195]-[221].

In the last two decades, Swahili chronicles have been thoroughly re-evaluated by historians of the East African coast, and their usefulness as historical sources subject to serious doubt and criticism. Typical of this new attitude were the words of Gill Shepherd: `Such chronicles are less objective histories than annotated pedigrees of a single ruling lineage`. Given such a perspective, the question may be asked whether the chronicles are a suitable guide to the search for historical identities of coastal societies.

This dissertation asks how individual Greek poets of the seventh and sixth centuries interact with and manipulate the group identities shared with their audiences. By employing a framework derived from Critical Linguistics and Critical Discourse Analysis, I a~alyze these poems both as instances of discourse (,language in use') and as pieces of 'literature'. I ground my analysis in the socio-political context for the Archaic period, during which time intra-elite conflict dominated, and in the performance context of the συμπόδιον, the all-male elite drinking party. I begin with Tyrtaeus, Alcaeus, and Solon in a targeted analysis of their poetry. I examine how each body of work interacts with social, political, and martial identities in the context of Archaic Sparta, Mytilene, and Athens respectively. The three poets, though the identities they present to their audience depend on the particular conditions of πόλις and socio-political situation, use a common set of rhetorical strategies to make their concepts of groupness appealing to their audiences. The fourth chapter examines the body of seventh- and sixth-century monodic poetry, where I found that the same set of rhetorical strategies are fairly consistent across the corpus. These rhetorical strategies work underneath the surface of the poetic text to support the identities and behaviour suggested by the more overt devices of allusions to Homeric heroes, insults, narratives, and so forth. The literary and rhetorical methods for encouraging sameness with the poet/speaker thus complement one another as the poetic text delivers a social message along with its cultural or literary one. This thesis demonstrates that sympotic poetry is 'group poetry' that served to negotiate a group's sense of shared sameness, whether in periods of crisis or not. It presents an analysis of how group identities operate within sympotic poetry along with the methodology for doing so.

This thesis is a collection of three studies concerning behavioral economics in group decision contexts. Laboratory experiments are our main tool to maintain control over the specific settings that we want to analyze and they allow us to isolate the phenomena we are interested in. In the first chapter, we look at how fairness influences trust between two individuals. A relationship frequently begins with the act of splitting a common endowment. The fairness of this division may influence the success of the relationship. This chapter investigates the effects of a fair division mechanism on an ongoing trusting relationship between two partners, by comparing two different Divide and Choose (DC) procedures. In the first version of the DC mechanism, the division is informative in terms of the pro-social intentions of the divider, whereas in the second version an equal division is consistent both with self-interest and other-regarding concerns. The experimental data find that, irrespective of the mechanism used, couples who reach an equal division in the first phase show higher levels of trust in the second phase. Hence, subjects do not rationally extract and use the information about the intentions of their partner from the division phase. The results suggest that reaching an equal division creates a positive feeling that enhances trust between the couple, even when it is not possible to deduce the intentions of the partner. In the second chapter, we are able to create a measure of intrinsic motivation in a working environment; and then, using this measure, we investigate how intrinsic motivations interact with extrinsic incentives. The effort of workers in a labor context is motivated by multiple factors. In contrast with the classical economic view, several economic experiments showed that money is not the unique motivation behind their effort. In a working context where subjects have to perform a task, it becomes fundamental for the employer to understand the intrinsic motivation and the taste for the task employees should perform. We develop a novel experiment to provide an empirical measure of intrinsic motivation at work. In our experiment, with rewarded leisure time, we tell the subjects which one is the optimal working time and consequently how they can maximize their monetary profit. We define intrinsic motivation as the difference between the level of effort actually exerted and the one optimally chosen based on monetary (extrinsic) incentives in a real effort task with complete monitoring of workers. The experiment aims at validating our motivation measure in terms of predictive success in work environments without monitoring of workers. Our data show that low productive workers have lower intrinsic motivation than high productive workers; high productive workers over provide effort working more than their optimal (in monetary terms) working time. In the third chapter, we analyze the effect of social identity on wealth distribution. We design a three-agent experiment in which two agents belong to the same social group. The decision maker can choose either an allocation that maintains equal payoffs between the three agents, or an allocation that favors himself and the other non-member individual at a cost for the member of his group. We study potential determinants of loyalty by imposing experimental variation in group identity (based on the minimal group paradigm) and status (based on a measure of cognitive ability). Furthermore, we vary punishment opportunities of those who receive a disadvantage from the distribution of wealth. Our results indicate that even very weak group identities have a strong effect on efficiency. When efficiency means hurting the ingroup, subjects tend to choose the inefficient equal distribution even at a personal cost. The higher is the status of the group, the bigger is the inefficiency problem.
In questa tesi ho raccolto tre studi riguardanti l'economia comportamentale in situazioni decisionali di gruppo. Gli esperimenti in laboratorio, con i quali manteniamo il controllo del contesto specifico, ci permettono di isolare i fenomeni oggetto di studio. Nel primo capitolo, studiamo come la giustizia distributiva influenza la fiducia tra due individui. Una relazione spesso inizia con la divisione di un patrimonio di proprietà comune. La giustizia distributiva di una divisione può avere un'influenza sul successo della relazione. Questo capitolo analizza l'effetto che una procedura di "fair division" ha su un legame di fiducia tra due individui, confrontando due modificazioni del meccanismo Divide and Choose (DC). Nella prima versione del DC, la divisione finale del patrimonio rispecchia le intenzioni sociali del divisore; invece nella seconda versione del DC, a seguito di una divisione equa del patrimonio non è possibile intuire le attitudini egoistiche o sociali del partner. I dati sperimentali evidenziano che, indipendentemente dal meccanismo utilizzato, le coppie che ottengono una divisione equa nella prima fase esibiscono un maggiore livello di fiducia reciproca nella seconda fase. Pertanto, dalla fase di divisione, i soggetti non estraggono e usano razionalmente le informazioni riguardanti le intenzioni sociali del partner. I risultati suggeriscono che una divisione equa crea un atteggiamento positivo, il quale favorisce la fiducia all'interno della coppia, anche nel caso non sia possibile dedurre le predisposizioni sociali dell'altro membro della coppia. Il secondo capitolo illustra un metodo per misurare la motivazione intrinseca in ambiente lavorativo. In seguito, usando questa misura, approfondiamo come le motivazioni intrinseche si relazionano con gli incentivi estrinsechi. La performance dei dipendenti in un ambiente di lavoro è originata da molteplici fattori. In contrasto con l'economia classica, molti esperimenti economici hanno dimostrato che il denaro non è l'unica motivazione che sta dietro allo sforzo di un lavoratore. In un ambiente lavorativo dove gli individui devono compiere una mansione, è fondamentale per il datore di lavoro capire la motivazione intrinseca verso il compito affidato al dipendente e l'appagamento personale che quest'ultimo ne può trarre. Abbiamo disegnato un esperimento innovativo che ci permette di misurare la motivazione intrinseca sul lavoro. Nel nostro esperimento, nel quale anche il tempo non lavorativo è salariato, comunichiamo ai partecipanti qual è il tempo ottimale di lavoro. Ciò significa che spieghiamo esplicitamente ai partecipanti come possono massimizzare il loro profitto monetario. La motivazione intrinseca viene definita come la differenza tra il livello di performance osservato e il livello ottimale basato sugli incentivi monetari (estrinsechi) durante lo svolgimento di un compito, in un contesto dove i lavoratori possono essere monitorati. Lo scopo dell'esperimento è di utilizzare la nostra misura di motivazione intrinseca per predire la performance dei lavoratori in un ambiente lavorativo non monitorato. I dati dimostrano che i lavoratori con una bassa produttività hanno una motivazione intrinseca inferiore rispetto ai più produttivi; i lavoratori con un'alta produttività attuano uno sforzo superiore al loro tempo ottimale (in termini monetari) di lavoro. Infine, il terzo capitolo, analizza l'effetto dell'identità sociale sulla distribuzione di ricchezza. Abbiamo progettato un esperimento, dove sono coinvolti tre individui e due di questi appartengono allo stesso gruppo sociale. Chi ha potere decisionale può scegliere di distribuire equamente la ricchezza a sua disposizione tra i tre individui, oppure può preferire un'allocazione che favorisce se stesso e il soggetto esterno al suo gruppo, creando però uno svantaggio per l'altro membro del gruppo. In questo capitolo studiamo i potenziali determinanti di lealtà verso il proprio gruppo sociale, variando nell'esperimento le identità sociali (basate sul paradigma dei gruppi minimi) e i livelli di status sociale (basati su una misura di abilità cognitive). Inoltre, variamo le opportunità di infliggere punizioni da parte del soggetto che riceve uno svantaggio nella distribuzione della ricchezza. I risultati indicano che persino identità sociali molto deboli hanno un effetto sull'efficienza. Quando una scelta efficiente significa danneggiare il proprio gruppo, gli individui sono propensi a scegliere la distribuzione equa ma inefficiente, perfino supportando un costo personale. Più alto è lo status sociale del gruppo e maggiore diventa il problema dell'inefficienza.

Recent research has unveiled a robust and pervasive phenomenon: individual members of a group consistently perceive higher levels of discrimination directed at their group as a whole as compared to themselves personally as members of that group. This phenomenon has been labelled the "personal/group discrimination discrepancy". Two studies were conducted using female subjects to investigate possible explanations underlying the personal/group discrimination discrepancy. Study 1 examined the effect of question wording employed in previous research. Study 2 investigated the relationship between an individual's perceptions of personal and group discrimination and her personal and social identity with respect to women as a group. Contrary to the main hypothesis, those subjects who made stronger associations between themselves personally as women and women as a group demonstrated a larger discrepancy between ratings of personal and group discrimination as compared to those subjects who less strongly associated themselves personally with the group. This result is discussed in terms of Turner's (1982) concept of depersonalization.

There have been a limited number of studies carried out on employee workplace identity. There have been many studies carried out on organizational change; however, they have been carried out mostly from an instrumentalist perspective where the topic of organizational change has been treated in isolation from other aspects of organization. The question of how a relationship exists between employee workplace identity and organizational change has been left unanswered. This thesis applies narrative theory as a conceptual bridge across identity and change. By considering how employees derive a sense of workplace identity from the workplace narratives, and organizational change as the destruction of existing workplace narratives and adoption of new workplace narratives, it is possible to gain new understandings of these concepts. A theory is developed which explains how narrative theory creates a relationship between identity and change. This new theory is further developed to explain how narrative theory creates a relationship between organizational identity, culture, leadership, conflict, and change. The new extended theory is applied to a narrative presentation of empirical data, which offers a powerful explanatory lens for understanding the relationship between these chosen aspects of organization.

This research focuses on the cultural identity of Chinese Australian adolescents in Canberra between the ages of 18 and 21. Adolescence is a developmental stage in which young people feel a need to define their cultural identity. According to social identity theory, being a member of the group provides individuals with a sense of belonging that contributes to a positive self-concept. In particular, young people belonging to ethnic minority groups need a firm sense of group identification in order to maintain a sense of wellbeing (Tajfel & Turner, 1979). The purpose and significance of this study is to update our understanding of how adolescents from a specific ethnic minority group (Chinese Australian) adjust to the mainstream Australian culture. The information gathered will be significant to the wellbeing of these individuals in helping them to come to terms with their own identity. It will also provide useful information for effective cross-cultural interaction for a range of services such as education, law, health and social services. The quantitative and qualitative approaches employed in this study include a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The semi-structured interview complements the questionnaire in confirming the adjustments of these adolescents within an analytical framework that is a replica of Phinney's framework (1994). In her research on bicultural identity orientations of African American and Mexican American adolescents, Phinney categorised these adolescents under four distinct types of interaction with the mainstream culture. These are namely: separation (focus only on the ethnic culture), assimilation (identifying solely with the dominant culture), integration (relating well to both cultures) and marginality (relating to neither culture). In this dissertation the researcher also aims to determine the cultural identity of Chinese Australian adolescents in Canberra in the study using these four categories. The results of this study demonstrate that this framework is an appropriate analytical tool for the study of the cultural identity of Chinese Australian adolescents, most of whom classified themselves as integrated. Overall, Chinese Australian adolescents between the ages of 18 and 21 in the Canberra region were well adjusted and showed little tension or stress in relating to their ethnic culture or to the mainstream Australian culture.

This thesis investigates the nature and the development of a delinquent social identity. Three issues are addressed. These concern the negative identity that results from social comparison processes in school, the role of the peer group in delinquency and the variable nature of the delinquent social identity. One argument of the thesis, which is based on the concepts of self-categorization theory, is that the delinquent social identity develops out of a negative identity because of perceived differences between groups of adolescents in the school in terms of their commitment to academic studies and their attitude towards authority. The first study in this thesis demonstrates that compared to non delinquents, delinquents are more likely to perceive their social status in the school to be low as well as stable, and are more concerned about their reputation among their peers. Also, delinquents are more likely to rationalize against guilt through the techniques of neutralization, are more likely to value unconventional norms and tend to have negative experiences, both at home and in school. Based on social identity theory, this thesis argues that delinquency arises out of a search for an alternative positive identity through " social creativity ", which is only possible through the group. Membership in a delinquent group or a delinquent social identity offers the delinquent a sense of " positive distinctiveness " which is derived from the rejection, redefinition and reversal of conventional norms. It is only through a social identity where members perceive each other as interchangeable and share an interdependency, that such a reversal receives social validation, and that members achieve a sense of self-consistency which becomes part of their reputation. The second study in this thesis confirms that delinquents show a relative preference for a group strategy of derogation of the outgroup for coping with negative social comparison, rather than one which involves an individual strategy of competition, and that this group strategy is more likely to enhance their self-esteem. Delinquents' tendency to reverse conventional norms is demonstrated in the third study of the thesis, which also revealed that this reversal is evident only when delinquents are compared to non delinquents, and that this rejection is not total. These findings not only provide support for Cohen's subcultural theory of delinquency but also that of Sykes and Matza who argue that delinquents drift in and out of such behaviours. In fact, this thesis suggests that this drift can be explained in terms of a shift in the salience of identity. Because the delinquent identity is a social identity, it is variable and context-dependent. Differences in attitudes towards authority, rationalizations against guilt and self-derogation can be explained by differences in the salience of the delinquent social identity. The last three studies of the thesis provide evidence of these variations with both self-report and incarcerated delinquents.

The unifying theme of the chapters presented in this thesis is that intra-group interaction impacts on in-group identity content, and this content provides a foundation for social action and social behaviour. The primary goals of this thesis are first, to demonstrate that social realities can be established and transformed through interaction; and second, to investigate why the process of intra-group interaction can spark and exacerbate social conflict. In Chapter 1, I review and attempt to theoretically integrate the disparate literatures on group discussion, identity and action. In Chapter 2, I investigate the effect of interaction on the positive-negative asymmetry effect (PNAE). In Study 2.1, participants were more likely to discriminate on rewards than fines, and find allocating rewards to be a more legitimate and pleasant act than allocating fines. Conversely, participants thought allocating fines would have a more negative effect on recipients and felt more negative about allocating fines than rewards. In Study 2.2, when in-group advancement was obstructed, no PNAE was found: obstruction was sufficient justification for out-group punishment in its own right. When in-group advancement was not obstructed, the PNAE reversed after group discussion, such that more hostility occurred when participants administered fines than when they awarded rewards. This reversal was mediated by processes of norm formation. In Chapter 3, I describe three studies which show that consensual intra-group discussions about a negatively regarded out-group increased inter-group hostility. Study 3.1 compared group discussion about immigrants with individual reflection. Results showed that group discussion informed the content of stereotypes, which led to support for anti-immigrant policies. In Study 3.2, participants discussed either an irrelevant topic, the out-group stereotype, or the out-group stereotype plus what concrete actions should be taken towards that group. Only discussion of the stereotype significantly increased hostility, suggesting that the psychological products of discussion per se (cohesion, identification, etc.) are not solely responsible for hostility. Rather, social validation of the stereotype explained why its discussion increased hostility. Study 3.3 replicated these results with a behavioural measure. In Chapter 4, I present two studies which controlled for the content of interaction by showing participants short films of similar others having a group discussion. Study 4.1 investigated the paradoxical finding that when groups discuss potential courses of action against an out-group, they are less likely to act than when they discuss simply the out-group stereotype (Chapter 3). Results suggested that when group discussions imply that there is social consensus about a course of action, even the advocacy of extreme actions can increase support for (more moderate) social action. Study 4.2 manipulated whether or not the discussants consensualised on the out-group stereotype, whilst controlling for discussion content. Only when the discussion ended in consensus did participants identify with the discussants and perceive norms for social action. In Chapter 5, I address how social identities and their associated (self-) stereotypes can disadvantage members of low status groups, but how they can also promote social change. The data demonstrates that consensualisation in small groups can transform (or reconfirm) such stereotypes, thereby eliminating (or bolstering) stereotype threat effects. In Study 5.1, female participants were asked why men are (or are not) better at maths. They generated their answers individually or through group discussion. Stereotype threat was undermined only when they collectively challenged the stereotype. Content analyses suggest that discussions redefined in-group and out-group stereotypes, providing the basis for stigma reversal or confirmation. In Study 5.2, male and female participants confirmed or challenged the stereotype in same-gender discussion groups or no discussion, baseline conditions. After a discussion that confirmed the stereotype, women displayed signs of stereotype threat and men’s performance was “lifted”. When they challenged the stereotype, the difference between men and women on the maths test was eliminated. Overall, the results reported in this thesis suggest that intra-group interaction enables group members to develop an understanding of their common ideology, which may establish the consensual basis of their identity content. If such consensualisation occurs, this provides them with a sense that their perceptions of reality are socially valid, and gives rise to (implicit or explicit) in-group norms. This provides individuals with a solid foundation upon which they may act. The implications of these conclusions are discussed in Chapter 6.

Social identity theory (SIT) suggests that the groups to which an individual belongs, to a large degree, define their identity. Previous research has demonstrated that music fanship is a particularly effective group membership for the construction and communication of an individual's identity (e.g. Rentfrow & Gosling, 2003) and that music preferences can guide how we perceive and act towards others (e.g. Lonsdale & North, 2009). However, there has not been a great deal of research examining the differences between the fans of different styles of music and also how and why the importance of music fanship changes across the lifespan. This thesis examines the differences between the fans of different styles of music on key indices of social identity. It also examines whether there are cross sectional age differences between music fans in terms of these indices. The current body of work was designed so that aspects of the findings could be triangulated between studies to increase their reliability and validity. Six studies, using a variety of methodologies, have been conducted to investigate these questions. Study 1 was questionnaire based and investigated four key areas of music fanship (1) perceived commitment, (2) behavioural commitment, (3) music based judgements of others & (4) music group joining processes. Studies 2 and 3 were quasi experimental in nature and made use of a novel visual analogue scale to assess differences between fans of different musical styles on their in-group identification and other indices of social identity and to test elements of contemporary conceptualisations of identification. Study 4 was a card sorting task which examined the relative importance of music to fans' identities. Study 5 was an adjective selection task where fans were asked to choose words that described the members of both their musical in-group and selected out-groups to investigate key social identity processes. Study 6 was a large scale qualitative study where fans of different musical styles and ages were asked to talk about their experiences of being a music fan across the lifecourse. Study 1 showed that there were key differences between fans of different musical styles and ages in terms of the four areas investigated. Studies 2, 3 and 4 demonstrated that although people saw their music fanship as being relatively important to their overall identity, that there did not appear to be significant differences between fans of different ages or of different types in this regard. These studies also showed support for elements of the Leach at al. (2008) model of identification as well as Postmes et al.'s (2013) single dimension of identification. Study 5 indicated that the self-definition profiles of different music fan groups were indeed different from one another and that fans were more positive than negative about the members of their in-group. It also demonstrated that an individual's own group membership had an impact on how they subsequently described the members of opposing groups. A thematic analysis of the interviews and focus groups in Study 6 found that three superordinate themes emerged. These were (1) group joining & becoming a fan, (2) social identity processes amongst music fans & (3) music fanship changes across the lifespan. These findings show clear differences between the fans of different musical styles in aspects of group joining processes, subsequent social identity processes with which they engage and how much they identify with their in-group. It also demonstrates cross sectional differences between fans of different ages for these processes. These findings have implications for future research on elective group membership and social identity processes.

Objective: Previous research into reminiscence as a psychosocial intervention in dementia has shown an improvement in cognition performance in the context of improving well-being. Social Identity Theory (SIT) offers a novel theoretical perspective in arguing that the improvements in well-being arise from increased identification formed by sharing memories from the personal past with others. Method: In the present study, 59 participants with cognitive impairment and dementia were recruited from residential homes; 34 took part in group reminiscence and 25 took part in individual reminiscence. The intervention took place over a six week period, with cognitive screening, mood, well-being, and social identity measures administered before and after the intervention. Key findings: Results showed an improvement in memory performance for those in group reminiscence only. Analysis showed that there was little difference between group and individual reminiscence on measures of mood, quality of life, and social identity. Conclusions: The results add to the literature on reminiscence therapy with older people with and without dementia, including improved understanding of the impact upon memory in the absence of changes in well-being. The findings are discussed in relation to improved interventions and implications for future research. Key words: older people, dementia, depression, quality of life, reminiscence therapy, psychosocial interventions.

The central proposition of this thesis is that intergroup attributions and explanations, like any other intergroup behaviour, are affected by the perceived relations between the groups. Social Identity Theory (SIT) was adopted as the theoretical framework within which to investigate intergroup relations. According to this theory, intergroup behaviour is affected by the relative status the groups bear to each other, together with the perceived legitimacy and stability of this status hierarchy. The thesis proposes two amendments to the theory. It is argued that perceived legitimacy and perceived stability have different effects on intergroup behaviour and hence can not be subsumed under the general category of "insecure comparisons". It is also suggested that intragroup variability exists in these perceptions. A study was conducted which confirmed these propositions, and predictions emerging from SIT concerning the effect of these perceptions on intergroup behaviour and attitudes received considerable support. In examining the effect of the intergroup perception factors on bias in intergroup attributions, the thesis focuses on two types of groups: race and gender. Three types of attribution were considered in different studies: explanations of intergroup inequality, attributions of blame for rape or robbery and attributions for individual group members' actions and outcomes. The results indicate that the relative status of the groups, together with the perceptions of the legitimacy of this status hierarchy influence the first two - the explanations for inequality and the attributions of blame made to the victim and perpetrator of crimes. In general, it appears that the 'prise de conscience' of the illegitimacy of the intergroup situation is the motivating force in rejecting the domination of the high status group over the low status group, by members of both the high and low status groups. However, the third type of attributions, the intergroup explanations made for individual group members' actions and outcomes were not in general affected by these factors. It was suggested that either the intergroup aspect of these vignettes lacked the salience to elicit an intergroup response, or that the actors in the vignettes were treated as atypical of the groups.

The thesis describes a program of research aimed at delineating an important concept in the social psychology of intergroup relations: tokenism. A series of experiments first established that disadvantaged group members faced with open access to an advantaged group (meritocracy) choose either inaction or attempts at individual upward mobility. Conversely, those faced with an advantaged group that is closed (complete discrimination) engage primarily in collective nonnormative action. However, when faced with severe, but not total, discriminatory restrictions (tokenism), disadvantaged group members consistently prefer individual nonnormative action. This preference is unaffected by increases in ingroup identification, increased prior ingroup interaction, and removal of direct self-interest. Some support was found for the role of situational ambiguity in maintaining the preference for individual action in conditions of tokenism. In two final experiments the behavioral responses of "successful tokens" were investigated. These experiments show that successful tokens shift their allegiance from the disadvantaged group to the advantaged group and choose action in support of this new high-status ingroup at the expense of the disadvantaged group.

Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 1999.
Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 141 p. : ill. (some col.), maps Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 138-141).