The Relationship Between Group Identification and Satisfaction with Life in a Cross-Cultural Community Sample

Abstract

A variety of studies have shown that group identification (a sense of belonging to one's social group, coupled with a sense of commonality with the group's members) is linked to high levels of satisfaction with life (SWL). The aim of the present study was to support and extend this literature by: (1) investigating the link between group identification and SWL with a large cross-cultural community sample; (2) examining whether the relationship is moderated by nationality; and (3) considering whether SWL is enhanced by possessing multiple group identifications simultaneously. Utilizing data from Wave 1 of the Health in Groups project, 3829 participants from both Scotland and Italy completed a questionnaire assessing their identification with their family, their local community, and a group of their choice, as well as their level of SWL. Higher identification with each group predicted higher SWL. Nationality was a marginal moderator of the relationship between family identification and SWL, with the relationship being stronger for Italian participants than for Scottish participants. There was also an additive effect of group identification, with a positive relationship between the number of groups with which participants identified and their SWL. These effects were obtained even after controlling for gender, age, employment status, nationality, and extent of contact with each group. The implications for healthcare professionals and their patients are discussed.

Greater University Identification—But not Greater Contact—Leads to More Life Satisfaction: Evidence from a Spanish Longitudinal Study

“…These findings support a range of studies which have shown a positive relationship between group identification and SWL (e.g. Cruwys et al, 2015;Greenaway et al, 2015;Haslam et al, 2005;Iyer et al, 2009;Sani et al, 2012;Wakefield et al, 2017). However, the present study expands upon these findings by exploring the relationship longitudinally (with the link between T1 identification and T2 SWL being examined whilst controlling for T1 SWL), and showing that there was no reciprocal causality (i.e.…”

“…'s () and Wakefield et al. 's () cross‐sectional findings indicating that SWL is more strongly related to group identification than to group contact. Indeed, T1 university student contact had almost no relationship with T2 SWL in the present study: a finding which supports Haslam et al.…”

“…For instance, Sani, Herrera, Wakefield, Boroch, and Gulyas (2012) found that family identification in a sample of Polish people (Study 1) and army unit identification in a group of soldiers (Study 2) both significantly predicted SWL, even after age, education level/army rank, and extent of contact with group members were controlled for. Similarly, in a large cross-cultural study involving Scottish and Italian participants, Wakefield et al (2017) found that higher identification with each of three separate groups (the family, the local community, and a third social group of the participant's choice) predicted higher SWL. Furthermore, the authors obtained an additive effect: a positive relationship between the number of these three groups with which participants identified and their SWL.…”

“…Similarly, in a large cross‐cultural study involving Scottish and Italian participants, Wakefield et al. () found that higher identification with each of three separate groups (the family, the local community, and a third social group of the participant's choice) predicted higher SWL. Furthermore, the authors obtained an additive effect: a positive relationship between the number of these three groups with which participants identified and their SWL.…”

Spiritual reminiscence therapy for older people with loneliness, anxiety and depression living in a residential aged care facility, Malaysia: The effectiveness and older people’s experiences

“…However, it was uncertain whether the findings from previous studies could be generalised to a non-western population, such as that in Malaysia, as previous studies were conducted in Australia and the United Kingdom (UK) (Haslam et al, 2010) and Australia and Canada (Haslam et al, 2013). Wakefield et al (2016) Overall, social identity theory is the most appropriate theory in explaining RT for the present study.…”