The relationship between imagined intergroup contact and common ingroup identity: The mediating effects of perceived intergroup similarity and recategorization
{"title":"The relationship between imagined intergroup contact and common ingroup identity: The mediating effects of perceived intergroup similarity and recategorization","authors":"Yu Hu , Yiren Yan , Denghao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104843","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research on common ingroup identification has mostly focused on the outcome variables and potential benefits of common ingroup identification, but little is known about the formation pathways and mechanisms of common ingroup identification. Based on the common ingroup identification model and intergroup contact theory, this study employs four experiments to explore the effects of imagined intergroup contact on common ingroup identification, as well as the serial mediation effects of perceived intergroup similarity and recategorization. The results of the study indicate that: (1) imagined intergroup contact promoted common ingroup identification; (2) perceived intergroup similarity mediated the relationship between imagined intergroup contact and common ingroup identification; (3) recategorization also played a mediating role in this relationship; and (4) both perceived intergroup similarity and recategorization played the serial mediation roles between imagined intergroup contact and common ingroup identification. This research extends the findings of imagined intergroup contact to the domain of deeper group identity effects and reveals the formation pathways and mechanisms of common ingroup identification.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7141,"journal":{"name":"Acta Psychologica","volume":"254 ","pages":"Article 104843"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Acta Psychologica","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825001568","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Research on common ingroup identification has mostly focused on the outcome variables and potential benefits of common ingroup identification, but little is known about the formation pathways and mechanisms of common ingroup identification. Based on the common ingroup identification model and intergroup contact theory, this study employs four experiments to explore the effects of imagined intergroup contact on common ingroup identification, as well as the serial mediation effects of perceived intergroup similarity and recategorization. The results of the study indicate that: (1) imagined intergroup contact promoted common ingroup identification; (2) perceived intergroup similarity mediated the relationship between imagined intergroup contact and common ingroup identification; (3) recategorization also played a mediating role in this relationship; and (4) both perceived intergroup similarity and recategorization played the serial mediation roles between imagined intergroup contact and common ingroup identification. This research extends the findings of imagined intergroup contact to the domain of deeper group identity effects and reveals the formation pathways and mechanisms of common ingroup identification.
期刊介绍:
Acta Psychologica publishes original articles and extended reviews on selected books in any area of experimental psychology. The focus of the Journal is on empirical studies and evaluative review articles that increase the theoretical understanding of human capabilities.