IJUP08 - Universidade do Porto

The influence of interpersonal similarity in social categorization
D. Teixeira 1 , F. Gonçalves 1 , I. Lourenço 1 and S. Duarte 1
1 Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal (students)
The main goal of this study was to articulate two theoretical concepts generally regarded as
separated in social psychological research: the interpersonal similarity (related to a
psychological or intra-individual level of comprehension) and the social categorization
(more related to the social or inter-grupal level). The present study followed the premises
of the Subjective Group Dynamics model (e.g. Marques, Abrams, Páez & Hogg, 2001)
which proposes that people are motivated to ensure the validity of a subjective sense of
reality (that is defined and shared by their groups) as a way to defend their own identity.
From that starting point, this work studied the impact of interpersonal similarity on social
categorization, as a way to reduce or implement a subjective identification with a social
group.
On a judgmental activity, subjects were asked to evaluate a number of fictional targets
(though presented as real), with the interpersonal similarity and the group membership
being manipulated across conditions. Namely, subject being very similar to, somewhat
similar or very different from most targets (interpersonal similarity) versus in-group and
out-group targets (targets´ group membership).
It was found that interpersonal similarity had the most impact on social judgments, with
subjects being more positive toward their own equals. However, amidst these results there
was an important phenomenon in regard. When subjects were very different from most
targets of their own group, they lessened their identification with their group and regarded
best the somewhat similar targets.
The main point is that when subjects found themselves as very different from most
members of their own social group they gave more relevance to another kind of social
categorization: being an atypical or marginal member of the in-group. As an alternative
base of social inclusion, they increased identification with in-group members that were
similarly “stigmatized” (Major and Eccleston, 2005).
References:
[1] Marques, J. M., Abrams, D., Paez, D., & Hogg, M. A. (2001), Social categorization, social
identification, and rejection of deviant group members, In Hogg, M. A. & Tindale, R. S. (Eds.),
Blackwell handbook of social psychology: Group processes (Vol. 3, pp. 400-424). Oxford, UK:
Blackwell Publishers.
[2] Major, B., Eccleston, C. P. (2005), Stigma and social exclusion, In Abrams, D., Hogg, M. A., &
Marques, J. M. (Eds.), The social psychology of inclusion and exclusion (pp. 63-87). East Sussex,
UK: Psychology Press.
207