Optimal Distinctiveness and Social Identity

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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.