Toward an integrative Social Identity model of Collective Action: A quantitative research synthesis of three socio-psychological perspectives.

An integrative social identity model of collective action (SIMCA) is developed that incorporates 3 socio-psychological perspectives on collective action. Three meta-analyses synthesized a total of 182 effects of perceived injustice, efficacy, and identity on collective action (corresponding to these socio-psychological perspectives). Results showed that, in isolation, all 3 predictors had medium-sized (and causal) effects. Moreover, results showed the importance of social identity in predicting collective action by supporting SIMCA's key predictions that (a) affective injustice and politicized identity produced stronger effects than those of non-affective injustice and non-politicized identity; (b) identity predicted collective action against both incidental and structural disadvantages, whereas injustice and efficacy predicted collective action against incidental disadvantages better than against structural disadvantages; (c) all 3 predictors had unique medium-sized effects on collective action when controlling for between-predictor covariance; and (d) identity bridged the injustice and efficacy explanations of collective action. Results also showed more support for SIMCA than for alternative models reflecting previous attempts at theoretical integration. The authors discuss key implications for theory, practice, future research, and further integration of social and psychological perspectives on collective action

A social identity approach to trust: interpersonal perception, group membership and trusting behavior

Trusting behaviour involves relinquishing control over outcomes valuable to the self. Previous research suggests that interpersonal perceptions of trustworthiness are closely related to this behaviour. The present research suggests that the more proximal determinant of trusting behaviour is the expectation that the other will reciprocate. Based on the Social Identity model of Deindividuation Effects (SIDE) model, reciprocity expectations may be created by interpersonal perceptions of trustworthiness or a shared group membership. To investigate this, group membership and individual identifiability were experimentally manipulated (N = 139): When individuals were not identifiable, trusting behaviour was based on expectations of reciprocity inferred from group membership, not on perceived trustworthiness. In contrast, personal identifiability fostered perceptions of trustworthiness for both in- and out-group members. In this case interpersonal trustworthiness enhanced expectations of reciprocity, which in turn increased trusting behaviour. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Climatic Ignition of Motivation

Climatic demands of cold winters and hot summers help explain why, whereas poverty and riches help explain how, inhabitants adapt culturally to their place of residence, their habitat. Motivational goals, behavioral means, and behavioral outcomes differ systematically in the following four types of habitats: threatening (demanding, poor); unthreatening (undemanding, poor); unchallenging (undemanding, rich); and challenging (demanding, rich). Perhaps most notably, there are stepwise increases in freedom, individualism, cooperation and creativity from threatening to unthreatening to unchallenging to challenging habitats. Geographically viewed, north-south differences dwarf east-west differences in climatic demands and wealth resources, and thus in climato-economic habitats. As a consequence, north-south differences also dwarf east-west differences in motives and behaviors. Because of their climato-economic habitats, compared to southerners, northerners manifest higher levels of freedom, individualism, cooperation and creativity in the northern hemisphere, but lower levels of freedom, individualism, cooperation and creativity in the southern hemisphere. This pattern of findings contributes to the burgeoning field of latitudinal psychology—the long-term ambition to map and understand spatial variations of psychological phenomena along the north-south rather than the east-west axis of the Earth