Optimal Distinctiveness and Social Identity

抽象最优区别性理论提供了一个关于社会角色的视角群体成员在建立和维护个人自我认同方面的作用。作为自我分类理论的融合，最优区别性模型假定社会身份是个体为了满足相互对立的社会分化和同化需要而选择或采用的。群体认同在一定程度上将是令人满意的，因为它同时提供了一种独特性和融入社会集体的感觉。因此，该理论暗示，个人将寻求成为相对排他性而不是包容性的群体的成员，并将对威胁到群体独特性的威胁做出消极反应。先前关于最佳显着性理论的研究已经证实，去人格化(归类在过于包容的群体中)增强了对更独特的群体的认同感，与群体成员的地位无关。目前的研究是一系列实验室和现场实验，将测试最佳区别性理论的进一步含义，包括(1)对过度个性化(个人独特性)的群体认同，(2)社会认同对群体内与群体间社会比较反应的影响，(3)群体区别性对群体成员之间感知差异的影响，(4)对群体独特性的威胁对自我呈现和对群体的承诺的影响。

ABSTRACT Optimal distinctiveness theory provides a perspective on the role of social group membership in establishing and maintaining individual self identity. As an amalgamation of self - categorization theory, the optimal distinctiveness model assumes that social identities are selected or adopted by individuals in order to satify opposing social needs for differentiation and assimilation. Group identification will be satisfying to the extent that it provides simultaneously for a sense of distinctiveness and for inclusion in a social collective. Thus, the theory implies that individuals will seek membership in groups that are relatively exclusive rather than inclusive, and will react negatively to threats to ingroup distinctiveness. Prior research on optimal distinctiveness theory has established that depersonalization (categorization in overly inclusive groups) enhances identification with more distinctive groups, independent of the status associated with group membership. The current research, a series of laboratory and field experiments, will test further implications of optimal distinctiveness theory, including (1) group identification in response to excessive personalization (individual uniqueness), (2) effects of social identification on response to intragroup versus intergroup social comparison, (3) effects of group distinctiveness on perceived differentiation among group members, and (4) effects of threat to group distinctiveness on self-presentation and commitment to ingroups.