J. Francisco Morales

Identity Fusion: The Interplay of Personal and Social Identities in Extreme Group Behavior

The authors propose that when people become fused with a group, their personal and social identities become functionally equivalent. Two hypotheses follow from this proposition. First, activating either personal or social identities of fused persons should increase their willingness to endorse extreme behaviors on behalf of the group. Second, because personal as well as social identities support group-related behaviors of fused persons, the 2 forms of identity may combine synergistically, fostering exceptionally high levels of extreme behavior. Support for these hypotheses came from 5 preliminary studies and 3 experiments. In particular, fused persons were more willing to fight or die for the group than nonfused persons, especially when their personal or social identities had been activated. The authors conclude that among fused persons, both the personal and social self may energize and direct group-related behavior. Implications for related theoretical approaches and for conceptualizing the relationship between personal identities, social identities, and group processes are discussed.

Identity Fusion and Self-Sacrifice: Arousal as a Catalyst of Pro-Group Fighting, Dying, and Helping Behavior

Identity fusion is a feeling of oneness with the group that induces people to tether their feelings of personal agency to the group. We accordingly proposed that increasing the agency of fused persons by elevating autonomic arousal would amplify their tendency to endorse and actually enact pro-ingroup behavior. In 4 experiments, increasing autonomic arousal through physical exercise elevated heart rates and fusion-unrelated activity among all participants. Fused participants, however, uniquely responded to arousal by translating elevated agency into endorsement of pro-group activity. These effects emerged both for endorsement of extreme behaviors for the group and for overt behaviors, specifically helping behavior (donating money to needy in-group members), and the speed with which participants raced a fusion-related avatar. The effects also generalized across 3 different arousal inductions (dodgeball, wind sprints, and Exercycle). Finally, fusion-related agency partially mediated the interactive effects of fusion and arousal on pro-group behavior. Apparently, autonomic arousal increases agency and identity fusion channels increased agency into pro-group behavior.

Evolution of Gender Stereotypes in Spain: Traits and Roles

The aim of this study is twofold: to determine whether (and how) gender stereotypes have changed over time through a comparison of two different sets of data collected in 1993 (N=1255) and 2001 (N=1255) from a representative sample of the Spanish population, and to examine the relation between gender traits and roles and its stability over time. In addition, special attention is paid to the psychometric properties of the measures of gender traits and roles used in the study. The content of gender stereotypes was found to remain stable over the target period of time, confirming the classical typology (a higher assignment of expressive-communal traits to women and of instrumental-agentic traits to men). The structure of the gender-role questionnaire allows us to distinguish between family-role and work-role stereotyping. Gender-role stereotyping shows a marked decline between 1993 and 2001, a result that contrasts with the stability of trait-role stereotyping. The fact that a very low correlation is observed at the two time points between these two components of gender stereotyping strongly suggests their independence.

Rejected and Excluded Forevermore, but Even More Devoted Irrevocable Ostracism Intensifies Loyalty to the Group Among Identity-Fused Persons

When people are ostrasized (i.e., rejected and excluded) by either an outgroup or an ingroup, they may either withdraw or engage in compensatory activities designed to reaffirm their social identity as a group member. The authors proposed here that individual differences in identity fusion (an index of familial orientation toward the group) would moderate the tendency for people to display such compensatory activity. Consistent with this reasoning, the results of four experiments showed that irrevocable ostracism increased endorsement of extreme, pro-group actions (fighting and dying for the ingroup) among fused persons but not among nonfused persons. This effect emerged when an outgroup ostracized fused individuals due either to their nationality (Experiment 1) or their personal preferences (Experiment 2). Similarly, ostracism by the ingroup amplified the tendency for fused persons to both endorse extreme pro-group actions, refuse to leave the group (Experiment 3), and donate money to an ingroup member (Experiment 4). Finally, compensatory activities emerged even when ostracism was based on being “too good” for the group, suggesting that a desire for self-enhancement does not mediate such activities (Experiment 4).

My Group's Fate Is My Fate: Identity-Fused Americans and Spaniards Link Personal Life Quality to Outcome of 2008 Elections

People differ in their reactions to the outcomes of their group. Whereas some may revel in victory and mourn in defeat, others may internalize victory but distance themselves from defeat. Here, we sought to relate these divergent reactions to two forms of alignment with groups–identity fusion and group identification. Investigations of the 2008 elections in the United States and Spain revealed that people who were “fused” with their political party internalized both victory and defeat, but highly identified persons internalized only victory. We discuss how these findings bear on the conceptual distinctions between identity fusion and group identification.

Niveles de análisis en el estudio de liderazgo carismático

ResumenEn este articulo revisamos brevemente el concepto de niveles de analisis y nos centramos en su aplicacion al estudio de Liderazgo Carismatico ya que este enfoque apenas si se ha tenido en cuenta y es practicamente nulo su empleo en Espana.Desde nuestro punto de vista consideramos que Carisma es un fenomeno que se incardina en el grupo, ya que existen diferencias significativas entre grupos de trabajo cuyo lider es carismatico y aquellos otros cuyo lider no lo es. Esto nos hace pensar que debe explicarse en el nivel grupal.Una tecnica que sirve para comprobar el nivel de analisis adecuado es el denominado «analisis intra-entre»» (A.I.E. o W.A.B.A. Within-and Between entities analysis) que explicamos brevemente en este articulo. Para realizar nuestro estudio hemos administrado el M.L.Q. (Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire) junto con otras escalas en 39 unidades de produccion (N total=199). Los resultados favorecen nuestra hipotesis en la direccion entregrupos en la relacion entre Carisma y algunas ...

Variables psicosociales y acoso escolar: el papel de las normas de grupo y la identificación grupal

Resumen Se presenta un trabajo que tuvo como objetivo principal analizar distintas características de naturaleza grupal de las que depende el acoso sufrido por algunos integrantes de un grupo. De esta forma, nuestro estudio se centra en demostrar que el grado de identificación con el grupo es clave a la hora de entender cómo se expresan las conductas de exclusión y acoso, si se percibe un ambiente normativo que posibilita la expresión de este tipo de conductas. Asimismo, mostramos cómo las situaciones de exclusión social son predictoras del bullying. Concretamente encontramos que los participantes que manifestaron ser acosados también eran excluidos; sin embargo, no todos los alumnos que indicaron ser excluidos eran acosados por sus compañeros. La importancia de este resultado es central para comprender la dinámica de la agresión sistemática entre iguales que ocurre en los centros educativos, ya que parte de la literatura considera que las situaciones de exclusión social que sufren los alumnos acosados son consecuencia del propio bullying y no viceversa.

Higher Moral Obligations of Tolerance Toward Other Minorities: An Extra Burden on Stigmatized Groups

In four experiments, we tested whether members of stigmatized groups are expected to be more tolerant toward other minorities than members of non-stigmatized groups and assessed the consequences of disconfirming those expectancies. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that majority group members expected members of a stigmatized group to be more tolerant toward immigrants, particularly when the stigmatized minority was perceived as having overcome the negative consequences of its victimization. When this tolerance expectation was disconfirmed, stigmatized group members were judged more immoral than members of a non-stigmatized group that held the same intolerant attitudes. Experiments 3 and 4 showed that these effects were driven by the belief that stigmatized groups should derive benefits from their suffering. These findings suggest that stigmatized groups are judged according to stricter moral standards than non-stigmatized groups because majority group members need to make meaning of the undeserved suffering experienced by victims of social stigma.

¡Nos gusta que nos vean…como somos! Implicaciones de la teoría de la auto-verificación a nivel intergrupal

Resumen La teoría de la auto-verificación manifiesta que las personas desean que los demás les vean tal y como ellos se ven a sí mismos. Según este supuesto harán lo posible por conseguir una coherencia psicológica y valorarán positivamente aquellas circunstancias que les permitan conseguir dicha coherencia. El presente trabajo trata de extender este supuesto a un nivel intergrupal. Se llevaron a cabo dos estudios manipulando una situación de contacto intergrupal (n=112 y n=69 respectivamente) y un tercer estudio manipulando la semejanza intergrupal en valores con un exogrupo (n=6l). Como se predijo, los tres estudios muestran que estas estrategias mejoran la imagen del exogrupo. Además, y como resultado más relevante, las dos estrategias (el contacto intergrupal y la semejanza intergrupal en valores) aumentan el solapamiento entre cómo los sujetos creen que les perciben los miembros del exogrupo (meta-estereotipo)y cómo se perciben a sí mismos.

Psicología Social y Psicología Positiva: algunas reflexiones

Resumen La Psicología Positiva abre nuevas avenidas de investigación y teoría para todas las áreas de la Psicología, la Psicología Social incluida, disciplina que, salvo excepciones (como el caso de Peter Suedfeld, que se describe brevemente), ha prestado escasa atención a los aspectos positivos de la interacción social. Como ejemplo del valor de la posible aportación de la Psicología Positiva a la Psicología Social, se propone el estudio de la exclusión social, en un intento de mostrar cómo cambia su comprensión cuando se la analiza bajo la óptica de la Psicología Positiva. Se finaliza con unas reflexiones generales sobre la forma en que Psicología Positiva y Psicología Social pueden colaborar mutuamente y complementarse para lograr sus respectivos objetivos.