Social Identity Theory also known as SIT is the study of human behavior in groups

and how we categorize us, others and how we treat such groups. SIT is categorized
into 3 distinct categories : Social categorization. Social categorization is how
humans group themselves and others using heavy use of terms like us and them, or we
and you. The next phase of SIT is Social Identification, this is when you are
already part of a group and begin to inherit group mentality or the norms of the
group. The next two steps are Social Comparison and Positive Distinctiveness
respectively. Social Comparison is when one group compares themselves to another
and justifies why their group is right or “superior” to the other. Positive
Distinction is in group favoritism, that is when members of a group will inherently
see someone in a more positive light just due to them being part of the same group.
SIT can be studied in many different ways, the study I shall be referencing in this
work is Abrams Et Al.
The purpose of Abrams Et Al was to find how people conformed to “group think”. The
study placed 50 introductory psych students into an experiment and they were to
study visual accuracy, although the experiment also had 3 confederates joining as
either in group or out group members. They were then shown multiple lines of
stimuli and had to come to a consensus on if they were the same size or not. 18
trials occurred in which 9 of the trials saw the confederates give correct answers
and the last 9 had them give incorrect answers. The study found that the
participants were much more likely to conform to the decision given by the
confederates if they thought they were in an in group and much less likely to
conform to the out group.
This study shows how SIT can influence behavior in daily life, and how much of a
role it plays everyday. The study shows how humans conform to group norms and group
consensus even if it goes against what they think initially. The study also shows
how in group favoritism (positive distinction) has a role. The study showed how
they were much less likely to listen or heed the ideas of the other groups, this
could be seen in the modern world through politics or discourse on any subject ie
fans of Led Zeppelin interacting with fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd. SIT’s effects happen
constantly throughout modern life and society with people subconsciously making
distinctions no matter how trivial it may be and joining and defining groups.