Identity Fusion and Status of the Evaluator as Moderators of Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification at the Group Level of Self-Description

• Authors: Tomasz Besta , Maria Kaźmierczak , Magdalena Błażek
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

We examined the influence of identity fusion and status of evaluator on willingness to fight for one’s group after group-descriptive or not group-descriptive feedback. The valence of evaluative information was varied as well: feedback either support negative group-stereotype (negative but descriptive condition) or contradict negative group-stereotype (positive but not descriptive condition). In two studies (N=208 & N=119) we partially replicated previous findings on self-verification. Individuals fused with one’s group were more prone than non fused to fight for group members after receiving, challenging, not group-describing feedback, but only when evaluator’s status was high. When the evaluator’ status was low, fused participants (vs. non fused) engaged in self-enhancement strategies: that is they endorse radical behavior after negative, even if group-describing, feedback. We discuss the importance of identity fusion and evaluator’s status for determining when self-enhancement and self-verification will and will not be evoke.

Keywords

EN

Identity fusion; social status; self-verification; self-enhancement; motivation; self-threat

• Publisher: Committee for Psychological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Polish Psychological Bulletin
• Year: 2013
• Volume: 44
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 371-378

Contributors

author

Tomasz Besta

• Institute of Psychology University of Gdansk, ul. Bażyńskiego 4, 80-952 Gdańsk

author

Maria Kaźmierczak

author

Magdalena Błażek