Experiencing Uncertainty as a Challenge or a Threat: Impact on Attraction to Entitative Groups

<p>This study examined the impact of self-uncertainty and challenge or threat appraisals on entitative group appeal. Predictions were based on uncertainty-identity theory’s findings regarding uncertainty and entitativity (Hogg, 2021), and on studies of challenge and threat appraisals in intergroup relations (Scheepers, 2009). Participants ( N = 167) from CloudResearch Connect were primed with a sense of either challenge or threat as a cognitive/affective demand and their level of self-uncertainty was measured. Participants then responded to a series of questions regarding their attraction to entitative group characteristics. Hypothesis 1 predicted that there would be a positive relationship between self-uncertainty and attraction to entitative group characteristics. Hypothesis 2 predicted that challenge/threat appraisal state would moderate the relationship between self-uncertainty and attraction to entitative characteristics. Hierarchical linear regression of the main and interaction effects did not find support for Hypotheses 1 and 2. However, a significant relationship was found between self-uncertainty and reported threat appraisal, indicating that there may be a relationship between self-uncertainty and individuals’ appraisals of performance-motivated situations.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Psychology, MA

Level thesis:degree_level

Restricted to Claremont Colleges Master's Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

School of Social Science, Politics, and Evaluation

Year dc:date.available

2023

Author dc:creator

• Peterson, Mary

Contributors dc:contributor

• William Crano

• Biopsychosocial model
• Entitativity
• Self-uncertainty
• Social identity theory
• CloudResearch Connect
• Psychology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/553

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarship.claremont.edu:cgu_etd-1575