Abstract
This thesis integrates a number of social ge Micrographics. psychological principles to study individual-level benefit (gain) and discrimination (loss) in a group setting. Using a variation of the minimal group paradigm, participants were assigned to a four-member group to participate in a series of tasks. After being told they had a chance to make extra money at the end of the hour, participants developed a sense of group identity through working on these tasks with the monetary incentive hanging in the balance. At the conclusion of the series of tasks, a 2 x 2 factorial design was applied, wherein the four participants were divided into separate rooms, each given a different level of the manipulation. Two were told that they would be given the money and two were told they would not be given the money. Of each pair, one was informed that this outcome was due to individual reasons (e.g., in the loss situation, the participant was led to believe that they may have "held the group back,'' and in the gain situation, the individual was led to believe that she or he benefited because of her or his own efforts). The other two individuals were told that the outcome was due to group-level causes,(e.g., the individual was losing or gaining solely because of her or his membership in the group). Results support the prediction that those who benefit for group reasons would have more positive impressions of the group, and that those who are discriminated against because of group membership will have less favorable impressions of the group. However, those who are affected either positively or negatively for individual reasons will often transfer these feelings to the group. Implications of these results are discussed in the framework of social issues and possibilities for future research.
Iuzzini, Jonathan Lawrence (1998). The impact of personal gains and losses on social identification processes. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1998 -THESIS -I99.