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The “doing” or the “being”? Understanding the roles of involvement and social identity in peer‐led addiction support groups
Author(s) -
Taylor Isabel,
McNamara Niamh,
Frings Daniel
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/jasp.12635
Subject(s) - psychology , identity (music) , addiction , mediation , social identity theory , social psychology , group identification , peer group , social group , identification (biology) , social support , social identity approach , developmental psychology , psychiatry , sociology , social science , physics , botany , acoustics , biology
While the efficacy of peer‐led support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) are well established for people recovering from addiction, the “active ingredients” which underpin their efficacy are less understood. Drawing on social identity perspectives, in particular the Social Identity Model of Cessation Maintenance, the current study aimed to explore the relative effects of two possible processes: social identification and involvement with the group's activities. A sample ( n = 44) of AA members completed measures pertaining to their social identification with AA, their involvement in the group's activities and their quit efficacy. The findings suggest that AA involvement was significantly related to identity. Mediation analysis revealed a relationship between involvement and efficacy meditated by identity. However, in contrast, the identity‐efficacy link was not mediated by involvement. The findings suggest that social identification with AA is as important as, or more important than, simple involvement in the group's activities. This suggests that group planners and facilitators should therefore encourage opportunities to generate a sense of belonging alongside the activities the group revolve around.