Scribd
Upload
20 views

Autobiographical Connection SAMPLE

Uploaded by

rglewis
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
20 views

Autobiographical Connection SAMPLE

Uploaded by

rglewis
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Autobiographical Connection SAMPLE

Social Identity Theory

The Social Identity Theory was created by Henri Tajfel in 1979. He proposed that a person’s sense of whom
they are is based on the groups in which they belong to. Groups give us a sense of social identity and a sense
of having a place in the world. These groups can range from one’s social class to their group of friends to a
sports team. Tajfel’s theory strongly relates to my life. Since the start of high school, I have become a part of
numerous groups that all mean something to me. When I first came to Broughton, I developed my friend group
that has only expanded, and maintained a strong relationship with my family. During freshmen year, I was
accepted as a part of student government and joined the soccer team. During junior year, I enrolled in the IB
program. These various groups are just some of which I belong to. Each of these groups have evolved and
strengthened over time, and I consider myself a strong component of each group. My membership in all of the
various groups in my life have shaped who I am to this day. The way I act, talk, and work strongly reflect my
membership in these groups.

On the basis of his research on the Social Identity Theory, Tajfel and his student John Turner proposed that
there are three mental processes involved in evaluating others as “us” or “them” (in-group and out-group). The
first stage is categorization. We tend to categorize objects and people in hopes of understanding them. We
assign categories to tell us certain things about people, as well as understanding the categories that we
specifically belong to. The second stage is social identification. This stage is when we adopt the identity of the
group that we hope to categorize ourselves as being a part of. The last stage is social comparison, which
occurs once we have categorized ourselves and identified with a group. In this stage we now tend to compare
our group with other groups (in-group and out-group). These three stages reflecting the Social Identity Theory
happen in my life every day without me realizing it. For example, in IB Biology we work in groups often for
projects and labs, and this process can be seen through the selection and execution of these groups. I go
through stage one: Categorization as I search the room categorizing people: smartest, nicest, friendliest, etc.
Next, I enter stage two: Social Identification, and I begin to identify with the group that I have chosen to work
with and categorize myself as a part of. Lastly, I go through stage three: Social Comparison. I might look
around and compare my group with others by evaluating who is the smartest, who has the fastest workers, etc.
Whether we realize or not, we all go through the three stages when we join a group, from groupwork in an
academic class to joining a sports team.

To apply the Social Identity Theory to the world around me, I read an article on Sports Affiliation and Self
Esteem by Merritt Posten. Posten explains the craze about people becoming so fanatic about a sports team,
constantly buying their gear, attending games and trading sports cards. This has to do with the Social Identity
Theory! Posten explains that these sports fans cheer for “their” teams as they have a desire to belong and
associate with a group that has the most to offer for their identity and self esteem. Posten mentions a study
conducted by Lee in 1985 that demonstrated the effects of self esteem and group identification. Lee gathered
male undergraduate and asked them questions on a university related questionnaire. After told their score, the
males were asked to describe a favorable or unfavorable basketball game. Those who did well on the
questionnaire showed more affiliation with their own university than those who did poorly. Lee’s research
shows that people tend to identify with the groups in which they have high self esteem.

The Social Identity Theory exists all around us as we tend to form groups and identify with them. In my life, I
exhibit this theory daily from the groups I choose to work with at school to the people I tend to hang out with.
Tajfel’s research can be applied to almost any area or category of life as the formation of and identification with
groups exist in all of our lives.

Works Cited

L, D. (2015, December 15). Social Identity Theory (Tajfel, Turner). Retrieved November 18, 2019, from
https://www.learning-theories.com/social-identity-theory-tajfel-turner.html.

Mcleod, S. (2019). Social Identity Theory. Retrieved November 18, 2019, from
https://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html.

Posten, M. (1998). Social Identity Theory: Sports Affiliation and Self-Esteem. Retrieved November 18, 2019,
from http://www.units.miamioh.edu/psybersite/fans/sit.shtml.

Rubin, M., & Hewstone, M. (1998, February 1). Social Identity Theory's Self-Esteem Hypothesis: A Review and
Some Suggestions for Clarification - Mark Rubin, Miles Hewstone, 1998. Retrieved November 18,
2019, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15327957pspr0201_3.

Vinney, C. (2019, July 22). Social Identity Theory and and Its Impact on Behavior. Retrieved November 18,
2019, from https://www.thoughtco.com/social-identity-theory-4174315.

You might also like