question archive Comment or reply my post According to Fiske and Taylor (2021), although blatant biases only exist in approximately ten percent of the Western population, their existence is dangerous because they rely on subjective perceptions, which become more significant than reality
Comment or reply my post According to Fiske and Taylor (2021), although blatant biases only exist in approximately ten percent of the Western population, their existence is dangerous because they rely on subjective perceptions, which become more significant than reality
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Comment or reply my post
According to Fiske and Taylor (2021), although blatant biases only exist in approximately ten percent of the Western population, their existence is dangerous because they rely on subjective perceptions, which become more significant than reality. Intergroup biases, or stereotypes, require people to perceive themselves as members of a distinct group. These perceptions are subjective and can lead to intergroup misunderstanding (Fiske & Taylor, 2021).
One theory that attempts to explain group identity is the self-categorization theory (SCT). This theory is an extension of the social identity theory (SIT). While SIT claims that maintaining self-esteem is the key to social identity, SCT contends that people start to behave like other ingroup members when they identify with that particular group. (Fiske & Taylor, 2021). In this theory, categorization is not fixed but depends on the context.
Another social identity theory, the optimal distinctiveness theory (ODT), asserts that social identity is affirmed when a balance is reached between autonomy and distinctiveness (Fiske & Taylor, 2021). As Hewstone et al., (2002) explain, assimilation and differentiation are opposing needs that require compromise. Assimilation is the need to identify with a distinct group, while differentiation is the need for individual identity within that group. People are motivated to seek and identify with groups that can provide the balance between these two needs (Hewstone et al., 2002).
When comparing these two theories, I feel the SCT aligns more with what we see in today's society. Mimicry is a form of direct social influence where behavior is emulated among those in the same social category (Neville et al., 2020). It has been found to occur simply because the source is an ingroup member. Instead of using the term contagion, which implies behavior spreads by direct vicinity, mimicry relates to relationships and behaviors that are imitated simply because of a similar social category (Neville et al., 2020). We see this type of imitation occur more and more often today, especially with the younger generation. I watched my own children become more like their ingroup. My one daughter started talking and dressing differently, while my other daughter, who suffered from depression and turned to self-harm, suddenly had an entire group of friends with identical self-harm issues. Whether these groups formed because of the group likenesses or resulted fromthe group likenesses is unknown. However, these behaviors do seem to support the self-categorization theory.
