Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T00:01:19.327Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Beyond old dichotomies: Individual differentiation can occur through group commitment, not despite it

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 October 2016

Matthew J. Hornsey
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia. m.hornsey@uq.edu.auj.jetten@psy.uq.edu.auhttps://www.psy.uq.edu.au/directory/index.html?id=43#show_Researchhttps://www.psy.uq.edu.au/directory/index.html?id=1197#show_Research
Jolanda Jetten
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia. m.hornsey@uq.edu.auj.jetten@psy.uq.edu.auhttps://www.psy.uq.edu.au/directory/index.html?id=43#show_Researchhttps://www.psy.uq.edu.au/directory/index.html?id=1197#show_Research

Abstract

The target article resuscitates an old but outdated dichotomy: a theoretical dualism between group belonging and intragroup differentiation. A convergence of evidence – including that within the social identity tradition – shows that intragroup differentiation is not incompatible with strong group identity. Indeed, when norms encourage autonomy, dissent, and individual freedom, intragroup differentiation occurs through group commitment, not despite it.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baray, G., Postmes, T. & Jetten, J. (2009) When “I” equals “We”: Exploring the relation between social and personal identity of extreme right-wing political party members. British Journal of Social Psychology 48:625–47.Google Scholar
Hornsey, M. J. & Jetten, J. (2004) The individual within the group: Balancing the need to belong with the need to be different. Personality and Social Psychology Review 8:248–64.Google Scholar
Hornsey, M. J., Jetten, J., McAuliffe, B. J. & Hogg, M. A. (2006) The impact of individualist and collectivist group norms on evaluations of dissenting group members. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 42:5768.Google Scholar
Jetten, J. & Hornsey, M. J. (2014) Deviance and dissent in groups. Annual Review of Psychology 65:461–85.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jetten, J., McAuliffe, B. J., Hornsey, M. J. & Hogg, M. A. (2006) Differentiation between and within groups: The influence of individualist and collectivist group norms. European Journal of Social Psychology 36:825–43.Google Scholar
Jetten, J., Postmes, T. & McAuliffe, B. J. (2002) “We're all individuals”: Group norms of individualism and collectivism, levels of identification, and identity threat. European Journal of Social Psychology 32:189207.Google Scholar
McAuliffe, B. J., Jetten, J., Hornsey, M. J. & Hogg, M. A. (2003) Individualist and collectivist norms: When it's OK to go your own way. European Journal of Social Psychology 33:5770.Google Scholar
Packer, D. J. (2009) Avoiding groupthink: Whereas weakly identified members remain silent, strongly identified members dissent about collective problems. Psychological Science 20:546–48.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Postmes, T., Spears, R. & Cihangir, S. (2001) Quality of decision making and group norms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 80:918–30.Google Scholar
Swann, W. B. Jr., Jetten, J., Gómez, Á., Whitehouse, H. & Bastian, B. (2012) When group membership gets personal: A theory of identity fusion. Psychological Review 119:441–56. doi: 10.1037/a0028589.Google Scholar