Premium
Taking the strain: Social identity, social support, and the experience of stress
Author(s) -
Haslam S. Alexander,
O'Brien Anne,
Jetten Jolanda,
Vormedal Karine,
Penna Sally
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
british journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 2044-8309
pISSN - 0144-6665
DOI - 10.1348/014466605x37468
Subject(s) - psychology , social identity theory , social support , social psychology , conceptualization , social identity approach , identification (biology) , categorization , social stress , identity (music) , life satisfaction , social group , job strain , social position , social relation , developmental psychology , psychosocial , psychotherapist , philosophy , botany , physics , epistemology , artificial intelligence , computer science , acoustics , biology
The social identity/self‐categorization model of stress suggests that social identity can play a role in protecting group members from adverse reactions to strain because it provides a basis for group members to receive and benefit from social support. To examine this model, two studies were conducted with groups exposed to extreme levels of strain: patients recovering from heart surgery (Study 1), bomb disposal officers and bar staff (Study 2). Consistent with predictions, in both studies there was a strong positive correlation between social identification and both social support and life/job satisfaction and a strong negative correlation between social identification and stress. In both studies path analysis also indicated that social support was a significant mediator of the relationship between (a) social identification and stress and (b) social identification and life/job satisfaction. In addition, Study 2 revealed that group membership plays a significant role in perceptions of how stressful different types of work are. Implications for the conceptualization of stress and social support are discussed.