A Three-Factor Model of Social Identity

Abstract

Despite the importance of the social identification construct in research and theory on group processes and intergroup relations, the issue of its dimensionality remains unresolved. It is proposed that social identity can be represented in terms of three factors: centrality; ingroup affect; and ingroup ties. I examined the efficacy of this model in five studies involving a total of 1078 respondents, one nonstudent sample, and three group memberships (university, gender, and nationality). Results of confirmatory factor analyses support the acceptability of the tripartite model, which fits the data significantly better than one- or two-dimensional (cognition/affect) alternatives. Correlations with theoretically relevant variables provide support for the convergent and discriminant validity of the three factors. Advantages and implications of the three-factor model are considered, with particular reference to social identity theory.