Uncovering the diverse cultural bases of social identity: In-group ties predict self-stereotyping amongst individualists but not among collectivists.

On what basis do people form their social identities?  To investigate this issue, the present research investigated cross-cultural differences in self-stereotyping, a key outcome of social identification.  In particular, the research tested the hypothesis that in-group ties are a stronger predictor of self-stereotyping among people from individualist cultures than among people from collectivist cultures.  In Study 1, university students (N = 117) completed measures of in-group ties and self-stereotyping with respect to an intimacy group (family and friends).  Consistent with predictions, in-group ties significantly predicted self-stereotyping among individualists but not among collectivists.  Study 2 (N = 104) found a similar pattern of results among members of the global internet community who considered either an intimacy group (their friends), a task group (their work group), or a social category (their gender).  These results indicate that people in individualist cultures are more likely than those in collectivist cultures to base their social identities on in-group ties.  The implications of these results are discussed in relation to self-categorization theory’s depersonalization account of social identification.