Effects of entitativity on strategies of individual mobility and social competition

Abstract

Group members often adopt various identity enhancement strategies to improve their unfavorable situations and achieve a positive image. Research on identity enhancement strategy determinants has been conducted mainly from an intergroup perspective, overlooking the role of fundamental group characteristics. To fill this gap, three studies (two preregistered) examined the effects of entitativity on individual mobility and social competition strategies. Across these studies, we manipulated ingroup entitativity and measured self-reported intentions (Studies 1 and 2) and behavioral choices (Study 3) relating to individual mobility and social competition. Results indicated that high (vs. low) entitativity group members were less likely to adopt individual mobility strategies and more likely to adopt social competition strategies. Importantly, these effects were observed in both intergroup comparison (Studies 1 and 3) and nonintergroup comparison contexts (Studies 2 and 3). These findings advance research on identity enhancement strategies and offer practical implications for group improvement and intergroup relations.