title: Facing social identity change: interactive effects of current and projected collective identification on expectations regarding future self-esteem and psychological well-being.
abstract: We hypothesized that prospective changes in social identity that involve transitioning out of a currently valued group would be associated with negative expectations regarding future states, but that this effect would be mitigated among individuals who expect to belong to a future in-group of similar importance. Consistent with predictions, strongly identified young adults in two studies projected significantly lower self-esteem/psychological well-being in old age than weakly identified young adults. Critically, however, this effect was fully attenuated if they expected to identify with their future aged in-group when they were old. Study 2 showed that the capacity for projected identification to buffer projected well-being among strongly identified young adults was contingent on their membership in the future in-group being highly salient. Analyses of participants' written descriptions of old age (Study 1) and a valence manipulation (Study 2) indicated that these effects were not attributable to the anticipated valence of future selves/states, but rather to the value placed on current and future group memberships.
authors: Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. djp208@lehigh.edu
authors: Dominic J
authors: DJ
authors: Packer
authors: Alison L
authors: AL
authors: Chasteen
authors: Sonia K
authors: SK
authors: Kang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012649:Self Concept; D012933:Social Identification; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult