Optimal Distinctiveness: A Theory of Group Identification

这是人际关系研究中一个公认的发现， 个人更喜欢与其他人交往， 与他们自己相似。 另一方面，有证据表明 这种极端的相似性可能是令人厌恶的， 建立与他人的区别， 保持自我身份。 目前的研究是基于 个人选择团体成员资格的前提是， 同时满足他们对社会的竞争需求 分化和包容。 人工创造群体和场的实验室研究 对自然群体的研究将被结合起来检验预测 个体更喜欢属于不同的子群 （而不是多数群体），并将努力维护 独特的群体身份，即使这种身份是 不利。 这些研究的结果将提高我们的 理解社会群体成员在 建立和维护个人的自我认同和心理 健康

It is a well.established finding in the study of interpersonal relationships that individuals prefer association with others who are similar to themselves. On the other hand, there is evidence that extreme similarity can be aversive and that individuals seek to establish distinctiveness from others as part of the maintenance of self identity. The current research is based on the premise that individuals select group memberships in order to meet simultaneously their competing needs for social differentiation and inclusion. Laboratory studies of artificially created groups and field studies of natural groups will be combined to test predictions that individuals prefer membership in distinctive subgroups (rather than majority groups) and will make efforts to preserve distinctive group identity even when such identification is disadvantageous. The results of these studies will enhance our understanding of the role of social group membership in establishing and maintaining individual self identity and mental health.