Individuality and Group Formation: The Role of Independence and Differentiation

This research examined the interplay of group formation & individualization processes with a particular emphasis on minority & majority groups. First, a 2-component theory of individuality that distinguishes between individuality as independence & as differentiation from other people was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality and social psychology 2001-09, Vol.81 (3), p.448-462
Main Authors: Kampmeier, Claudia, Simon, Bernd
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Differentiation
Group Dynamics
Group Formation
Group Size
Individual Collective Relationship
Individualism
Majority Groups
Minority Groups
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Summary:This research examined the interplay of group formation & individualization processes with a particular emphasis on minority & majority groups. First, a 2-component theory of individuality that distinguishes between individuality as independence & as differentiation from other people was presented, tested, & cross-validated in 2 questionnaire studies. Next, a pilot experiment provided first support for the working assumption that the salience of the differentiation or independence components of individuality differentially affect minority & majority group formation. Finally, the main experiment demonstrated that these individuality effects on minority & majority group formation are due largely to a differential orientation toward either intergroup or intragroup comparisons. This experiment also uncovered a unique effect of relative in-group size, but this effect was limited to similarity-based group formation. 3 Tables, 4 Figures, 94 References. [Copyright 2001 The American Psychological Association.]
ISSN:0022-3514
DOI:10.1037//0022-3514.81.3.448