founded by Henri Turner and Jean Tajfel in 1979, a theory that focuses on how a person’s group membership influences their behavior, perception, and interaction with others. According to this theory, a person’s identity is shaped not only by their individual characteristics, but also by their membership in social groups (such as family, school, cult, or team). This affiliation generates an internalized preference for members of one’s own group (ingroup bias) and hostility or prejudice toward other groups (outgroup hostility), even in the absence of real competition for resources.
The main aspects of social identity theory are:
1) Cognitive dimensions: a person’s perception of belonging to a group strengthens his self-identification and group identity. It contributes to the division of people into “us” and “them”, which determines the attitude and perception of others.
2) Emotional dimensions: belonging to a group generates feelings of loyalty, pride and appreciation for it. It can also lead to feelings of hostility or contempt for outgroups.
3) Behavioral dimensions: manifested in support or protection of one’s own group, as well as in competition with or rejection of other people outside the group.
A practical example of social identity theory: In experimental studies, when people are randomly assigned to groups, people tend to favor members of their own group and devalue the other group, even if the two groups are identical in their characteristics, which demonstrates the strong influence of social identity on people’s behavior towards others.