Running Head: STRATEGIES OF DIFFERENTIATION Strategies of differentiation: Preferences in contexts of upward or downward comparisons and cooperation or competition

Social identity theory postulates that people are motivated to achieve a positive and distinct identity. One strategy in response to threatened identity is differentiation, the occupation of vacant social niches. Studies by Lemaine (1974) demonstrated that individuals when feeling inferior do in fact use differentiating behavior to justify themselves, both in situations with and without explicit competition. However, there is need for further exploration of differentiation in contexts of cooperation rather than competition, and in social comparisons when individuals feel superior rather than inferior. This study compares differentiation strategies used when participants are in a scenario of applying for an internship, in situations of upward or downward competition or cooperation. Participants' ratings of importance, perceived superiority over another candidate, and perceived difference from another candidate revealed that, contrary to my hypothesis, individuals tend to differentiate most when in situations of downward comparison, rather than in competition with a superior rival. However, my hypothesis was partly confirmed in that participants in upward competition did show some evidence of self-enhancement through superiority ratings and differentiation when compared to those cooperating with a superior partner.