Social Identity, Health and Well‐Being: An Emerging Agenda for Applied Psychology

Abstract

The social environment comprising communities, families, neighbourhoods, work teams, and various other forms of social group is not simply an external feature of the world that provides a context for individual behaviour. Instead these groups impact on the psychology of individuals through their capacity to be internalised as part of a person's social identity. If groups provide individuals with a sense of meaning, purpose, and belonging (i.e. a positive sense of social identity) they tend to have positive psychological consequences. The impact of these identity processes on health and well-being is explored in the contributions to this special issue. In this editorial, we discuss these contributions in light of five central themes that have emerged from research to date. These themes address the relationship between social identity and (a) symptom appraisal and response, (b) health-related norms and behaviour, (c) social support, (d) coping, and (e) clinical outcomes. The special issue as a whole points to the capacity for a social identity approach to enrich academic understanding in these areas and to play a key role in shaping health-related policy and practice.

Ageing well in a foreign land as a process of successful social identity change

“…In particular, and consistent with SIMIC, there was some evidence that joining new groups following an important life transition such as migration can protect and even reverse the negative effects of change. This is because, to the extent that the social support derived from these group memberships (and the psychological resources they provide) are likely to make the experience of entering a new phase in life a less stressful experience (see Haslam, Jetten, Haslam, & Postmes, 2009). Speaking to issues of identity compatibility, it also emerged that migrants were selective in the groups that they joined and they preferred groups that were composed of people from the same ethnic or national background.…”

Social Comparisons, Social Support, and Self-Perceptions in Group Exercise for People With Parkinson's Disease

“…Humor can decrease anxiety (Crawford & Caltabiano, 2011) and provide a way to reappraise the situation as less threatening (Bouskill, 2012). Coping through GROUP EXERCISE FOR PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON'S 29 humor may foster solidarity and a shared social identity (Merz et al, 2009), and for those with an incurable illness, creative coping such as playing with taboo subjects through humor could involve rejecting and redefining stereotypes (Haslam et al, 2009). From an applied perspective, it is important for practitioners working with this population to be aware of these potential coping mechanisms.…”

The role of social capital and community belongingness for exercise adherence: An exploratory study of the CrossFit gym model

“…Markman (2012) noted that being surrounded by people who share the same goals results in a mutual interest of each other's progress. Social groups, such as belonging to an exercise group or gym, are thought to have the capacity to provide people with a sense of meaning, purpose and affiliation (Haslam et al, 2009) which can lead to positive psychological consequences, such as an increased sense of self-worth (Walton et al, 2012). In addition, when people feel like they belong to a group, they are more likely to participate in adaptive health behaviours (Dowd et al, 2014) and define their sense of self in terms of the groups they associate with as supported by social identity theory (Tajfel and Turner 1986).…”