The how and the when of the social cure: A conceptual model of group‐ and individual‐level mechanisms linking social identity to health and well‐being

Abstract

In this article, we aim at theoretical specification and integration of mechanisms proposed within the Social Identity Approach to Health and Well‐being. We differentiate group‐level and individual‐level effects of shared social identity by distinguishing three different aspects: individual identification, group identification, and individually perceived group identification. We discuss specific group‐level mechanisms (i.e., mutual social support and collective self‐efficacy) and individual level‐mechanisms (i.e., attribution and appraisal processes regarding stressors and resources) for each of the three aspects. A core conclusion is that the positive effects of shared social identity on health and well‐being crucially depend on its close relationship with social support, and that although social support is an interindividual phenomenon, it is intraindividual mechanisms—attribution and appraisal—that shape the psychological partnership between social identity and social support. Therefore, we put special emphasis on cross‐level interactions between group‐ and individual‐level mechanisms, which have been widely neglected in earlier research.

Opposite associations of collective narcissism and in-group satisfaction with intergroup aggression via belief in the hedonistic function of revenge

“…In contrast to collective narcissism, in-group satisfaction is positively related to self-esteem [ 10 ], pro-sociality, and psychological well-being [ 7 ]. Moreover, positive social identification, akin to in-group satisfaction, has also been linked to better mental health [ 16 , 17 ]. Lastly, greater in-group satisfaction is associated with stronger beliefs that the positive characteristics of individuals should be used to enhance the value of the in-group [ 18 ].…”

An Exploration of Co-Workers’ Group Identification as Moderator of the Leadership-Health Link

“…Thus, by managing an identity, leaders can promote identification (Steffens, Haslam, Reicher, et al, 2014). This is also important in light of findings suggesting that the effects of social identification on reducing burnout are stronger when all members of a workgroup share the same degree of identification (Häusser et al, 2020;Steffens et al, 2017).…”

“…Gill & Caza, 2018). In line with this idea, other group members become an important source of information on how to interpret leader behaviors (Chrobot-Mason et al, 2016;Häusser et al, 2020;Hogg, 2001). In this study, we look at co-workers' group identification as source of behaviors that may reinforce (or subvert) leader's efforts.…”

“…First, group identification may vary within a workgroup (Häusser et al, 2020;Steffens et al, 2017). While a uniformly strong group identification among workgroup members may characterize high performance teams (cf.…”

The I and We of Team Identification: A Multilevel Study of Exhaustion and (In)congruence Among Individuals and Teams in Team Identification

“…We argue that one reason for these inconsistencies in the literature is a neglect of considering other members' TI and exhaustion, despite social identification constituting an essential connection between the individual and the other team members (Haslam, 2012;Jans, Leach, Garcia, & Postmes, 2015;Tajfel, 1982;Tajfel & Turner, 1979;Turner, Oakes, Haslam, & McGarty, 1994; see also van Dick, Ciampa, & Liang, 2018). Recently, Häusser, Junker, and van Dick (2020) emphasized the different processes that underly the positive effects of social identification on health and well-being. Some of these processes through which TI relates to less exhaustion are individually based, such as reappraising stressors to be less threatening.…”