Managing One's Group Image: Dynamics of Group-Based Self-Esteem and Indentity Management Strategies

Eine zentrale Annahme der Theorie der Sozialen Identität (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) besagt, dass Mitglieder einer Gruppe durch Intergruppenvergleiche versuchen, eine positive soziale Identität ihrer Gruppe im Vergleich zu einer Fremdgruppe herzustellen. Diese Annahme ist in der so genannten Selbstwerthypothese (Abrams & Hogg, 1988) in einer empirisch testbaren Weise neu dargelegt worden. Die Selbstwerthypothese postuliert zum einen, dass erfolgreiche Intergruppendiskriminierung die soziale Identität und somit den Selbstwert erhöht (Teil 1 der Selbstwerthypothese; S. 320), und zum anderen, dass niedriger oder bedrohter Selbstwert den Wunsch nach Intergruppendiskriminierung aufgrund des Strebens nach positivem Selbstwert erhöht (Teil 2 der Selbstwerthypothese; S. 320). Rubin und Hewstone publizierten 1998 einen Übersichtsartikel, der Studien zusammenfasste, die die beiden Teile der Selbstwerthypothese empirisch überprüften. Zusammenfassend kann man sagen, dass während der erste Teil der Selbstwerthypothese (erfolgreiche Intergruppendiskriminierung erhöht die soziale Identität und somit den Selbstwert) empirisch belegt werden konnte, der zweite Teil der Selbstwerthypothese (niedriger oder bedrohter Selbstwert erhöht den Wunsch nach Intergruppendiskriminierung) nicht bestätigt werden konnte. Im Gegenteil, es zeigte sich, dass acht von zehn Studien den umgekehrten Zusammenhang fanden: Hoher Selbstwert führte zum verstärkten Wunsch nach Intergruppendiskriminierung. Betrachtet man die in der Arbeit von Rubin und Hewstone (1998) zitierten Studien genauer, so stellt man fest, dass zahlreiche Studien die Formulierung niedrigen Selbstwert aufgriffen und dann lediglich den pretest Selbstwert erhoben und diesen mit der Möglichkeit, die eigene Gruppe zu bevorzugen oder die Fremdgruppe zu benachteiligen, korrelierten (z.B. Crocker & Schwartz, 1985; Sidanius, Pratto, & Mitchell, 1994). Andere Wissenschaftler und Wissenschaftlerinnen fokussierten auf die Formulierung „bedrohter Selbstwert“ und operationalisierten diesen indem sie zunächst den Selbstwert erhoben und diesen dann durch Misserfolgsrückmeldung bedrohten (Brockener & Chen, 1996; Brown, Collins, & Schmidt, 1988; Crocker & Luhtanen, 1990; Crocker, Thompson, 2 McGraw, & Ingerman, 1987; Seta & Seta; 1992). Diese Studien zeigten wiederholt, dass diejenigen Versuchspersonen, deren hoher Selbstwert bedroht worden war, verstärkt mit einer Bevorzugung der Eigengruppe und/oder einer Abwertung der Fremdgruppe reagierten. Diese Zusammenhänge wurden zunächst für personalen (Brockener & Chen, 1996; Brown et al., 1988; Crocker et al., 1987; Seta & Seta, 1992), später auch für gruppenbasierter Selbstwert gezeigt (Crocker & Luhtanen, 1990)

Too different to be equal: Lack of public respect is associated with reduced self‐respect for stigmatized individuals

Individuals with physical and mental disabilities can be stigmatized and perceived in terms of their disabilities in the public domain. This is less pervasive in the private domain, because of the presence of individuating information. We argue that disabilities decrease individuals’ everyday opportunities to receive basic equality-based respect experiences in the public domain and thus makes it difficult for them to develop a high and secure level of self-respect (i.e., seeing the self as someone who possesses the same rights as others). These hypotheses were tested in a cross-sectional study in Norway with 173 participants (51 males, 117 females, two trans men, and three non-binary persons; Mage = 28.00; SD = 10.33, age range: 19–77 years), of which 60 participants reported having mental or physical disabilities. In line with our hypotheses, we found higher levels of self-respect for individuals without mental or physical disabilities compared to individuals with mental or physical disabilities. In addition, results showed that respect experiences differed depending on the domain. Whereas individuals with and without disabilities did not significantly differ in the respect experiences they reported in the private domain, they did significantly differ in the respect experiences they reported in the public domain. In addition, respect experiences in the public domain mediated the relationship between disability and self-respect. Implications of the results are discussed in terms of the importance of developing high and secure levels of self-respect and in terms of how respect experiences in the public domain can be ensured for everyone

Who cares? Effects of gendered self-perceptions on dropout intentions in communal degree programs

Global population aging trends create an increased need for educated workers in the health domain. At the same time, communal degree programs (i.e., health care and early education [HEE]) show high dropout rates—particularly for men. Extending person-environment fit theory and the lack of fit model, we investigate whether students' (gendered) self-perceptions relate to perceived fit and whether fit is associated with their sense of belonging to the degree program and dropout intentions. We conducted an online experiment with 298 Norwegian students enrolled in HEE degree programs (66 men, 232 women; Mage = 25.32, SD = 6.08). We experimentally manipulated the importance of communal versus neutral traits in communal occupations. The manipulation showed no effects on students' perceived fit or sense of belonging. However, students' gender was significantly related to their communal self-perceptions. Male students perceived themselves as less communal, and this perception was associated with lower perceived fit. Lower perceived fit was associated with a lower sense of belonging and higher dropout intentions. Our findings indicate that gender differences in communal self-perceptions exist even among students in communal degree programs, and that this difference in perceived communality may contribute to the higher dropout rates of male students

Mapping the well-being of Norwegian mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic had negative effects on many people's well-being and quality of life. In the present work, we focused on Norwegian mothers with elementary school children, and investigated whether their well-being, stress, and worries (and the relationships between them) changed across the early months of the pandemic. We collected data at two time points in 2020. In June 2020, 231 mothers (mean age = 40.09, SD = 6.22) responded to an online questionnaire in which they were asked to indicate their well-being, stress, and worries before the pandemic, during the lockdown (i.e., March 2020), and currently (i.e., June 2020). Of these 231 mothers, 97 (mean age = 40.58, SD = 5.66) answered the same questionnaire again in November 2020. Mothers' well-being was lower in November 2020 than before the pandemic (retrospectively reported). The age of the youngest child showed the strongest and most consistent relationship with mothers' well-being across all time points. In addition, we found that the stress mothers felt during the national lockdown in March 2020 was strongly associated with their well-being both during the lockdown and in June 2020. Finally, in November 2020, mothers' financial pandemic-related worries were negatively related to their well-being. Implications and suggestions for future research and for how societies can cope with future health-related crises are discussed