In-group Attachment and Glorification, Perceptions of Cognition-based Ambivalence as Contributing to the Group, and Positive Affect

One study examined modes of social identification (‘attachment’ to the group and in-group ‘glorification’) that can lead people to experience positive psychological consequences from their cognition-based ambivalent evaluations of the in-group. As expected, among highly attached participants, cognitive in-group ambivalence predicted a stronger perception of their ambivalent views about fellow group members as a personal contribution to the in-group. By contrast, among highly glorifying participants, cognitive in-group ambivalence predicted a weaker perception of their ambivalent views about fellow group members as a personal contribution to the in-group. Besides, among highly attached but not highly glorifying participants, cognitive in-group ambivalence elicited a positive affective response. These findings point to the importance of taking both group members’ individual differences in facets of social identification and the cognitive components of their in-group ambivalence into account when considering reactions to holding such ambivalent attitude because these factors can moderate these effects.