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Economic growth may not improve society if people compare their achievements to others in relative ways that detract from well‐being. But who are these others and what economic dimensions matter? This research applied a p‐value ranking approach from genetics research to tackle the issue of reference group selection. Data from over 30,000 British and American adults were analyzed in nearly 800 multi‐level models. Over 300 measures of reference group socio‐economic status and eight measures of well‐being were used. The results showed that reference groups based on geography and age, perceptions of those in "society," and rank wealth were most consistently associated with well‐being. Measures less consistently associated with well‐being used averages, medians, and proportions in states and local authorities without demographic sub‐groups. Future researchers should consider the consistently associated dimensions of reference groups when constructing relative measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to extract, model, and rank reference groups on green consumer behavior to achieve environmentally sustainable development. This research was conducted in Iran in four stages. In the first stage, thematic factors were extracted through the research literature. These factors were expressed in 26 factors using expert opinions. A questionnaire containing 26 factors affecting the subject was designed in the second stage. This questionnaire was distributed among 404 people in the Iranian consumer community. In the third stage, the results of the questionnaires were reviewed, and the relevant model was presented using exploratory factor analysis. Finally, the factors were ranked using a neural network toolbox in MATLAB software and a random forest algorithm. Twenty-six factors were extracted in the effect of reference groups on green consumer behavior. The results of the statistical sample showed the effect of these factors on the research topic. With studies performed by exploratory factor analysis, a model related to how factors affect the subject was presented in seven applied components. Finally, they were ranked to evaluate the effectiveness of the factors. This study attempts for the first time to investigate the impact of reference groups on green consumer behavior with such a wide range of factors to promote sustainable environmental development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of perceived economic differences in everyday life is relevant to deepening knowledge of how inequality shapes psychological processes. In the current research, Spanish undergraduates (N = 547) were asked what their friends with the most and least money could do with their resources. Using a qualitative and quantitative approach, we performed a content analysis of the 1,085 open‐ended responses given, ran latent class analyses with the coded material to identify groups of participants, and explored whether class membership was associated with their awareness of inequality and support for redistribution. Participants perceived inequality among their friends through daily indicators such as consumption, opportunities, leisure, and mental health; some participants used compensatory strategies to mitigate perceived inequality. Latent class analyses suggested that participants differed mostly in the attention paid to consumption and in the use of compensatory strategies. Exploratory analyses suggested that perceiving inequality in everyday life in terms of consumption, negative attributes towards the wealthy, or positive attributes towards low socioeconomic groups was related to acknowledging economic differences among individuals and support for redistribution. The study of perceived economic inequality in everyday life continues a new line of research with the potential to obtain results more consistent with people's experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies on the impact of grade retention on academic self‐concept suffer from inconclusive findings. There is no consensus if retention yields long‐term benefits that could offset its opportunity costs and, if so, under what conditions. Therefore, this article examines whether grade retention decreases academic self‐concept and whether this relationship is mediated by sense of belonging. Moreover, we aim to contextualise retention research by accounting for schools' retention composition. Based on reference group theory, the effect of grade retention composition on academic self‐concept is expected to be twofold. Normative reference grouping leads to the assumption that students in high retention composition schools will exhibit lower levels of academic self‐concept, because retainees' values are more likely to spread across all students within the same school. Comparative reference grouping might lead to a moderation effect of retention composition on the relationship between grade retention and academic self‐concept. Multilevel analyses on International Study of City Youth data, consisting of 2,354 students in 30 secondary schools in Ghent (Flanders), revealed a negative association between grade retention and academic self‐concept, which was mediated by sense of belonging. Students in high retention composition schools had a significantly lower academic self‐concept. The impact of being retained on academic self‐concept is not affected by the number of retainees within a given context. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although it is well accepted that the self‐concept includes numerous identities, the preponderance of past consumer identity research has explored one identity at a time and this focus has limited new insights into the interplay between identities. We integrate across research streams to propose a Multiple‐Identity Network as a unifying framework to help inform and direct future research on multiple identities. This framework identifies three important areas of opportunity for research on multiple identities: (a) Identity Structure, (b) Identity Management, and (c) Identity Change processes that drive both structure and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the area around Angkor, Cambodia, several ceramics kilns dating from the ninth to 15th centuries ce have been discovered since 1995. The technical, typological and compositional characterization of their production has been one of the main goals of the Cerangkor Project. Samples of green‐glazed 'Kulen‐type' stoneware and non‐glazed stoneware produced in five kiln sites in the Angkor region were analysed chemically by wavelength‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry (WDS‐XRF) and also petrographically. The data indicate that some workshops used similar raw materials for the same types of ceramics, suggesting the exploitation of the same geological formations in the whole region. Several references groups were established for each type of stoneware offering an important database for future provenance studies of sherds from consumption sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women. Observational studies suggest that women with a history of recurrent miscarriage have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.Material and Methods: Women who visited the recurrent miscarriage clinic at Leiden University Medical Center between 2000 and 2010 and who had their third consecutive miscarriage before the age of 31 years, were invited to participate in this follow-up study (between 2012 and 2014). The reference group consisted of women with at least one uncomplicated pregnancy and no miscarriage, matched by zip code, age, and date of pregnancy. All women were invited for risk factor screening, including physical examination and blood collection. Main outcome measures were the (extrapolated) 10- and 30-year cardiovascular risk scores using the Framingham risk score. A subanalysis was performed for women with idiopathic recurrent miscarriage.Results: Thirty-six women were included in both groups. Mean follow up was 7.5 years. Women with recurrent miscarriage had a significantly higher extrapolated 10-year cardiovascular risk score (mean 6.24%, SD 5.44) compared with women with no miscarriage (mean 3.56%, SD 1.82, P = .007) and a significantly higher 30-year cardiovascular risk score (mean 9.86%, SD 9.10) compared with women with no miscarriage (mean 6.39%, SD 4.20, P = .04). Similar results were found in women with idiopathic recurrent miscarriage (n = 28).Conclusions: Women with a history of recurrent miscarriage differ in cardiovascular risk profile at a young age compared with women with no miscarriage. The findings support an opportunity to identify women at risk of cardiovascular disease later in life and a possible moment for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: What motivates clergy political attitudes and behavior? We investigate this using a questions‐as‐treatment randomized experiment focusing on Roman Catholic priests in the United States. Our results suggest substantial utility in using a question frame referencing the distinct institutional expectations that clergy regularly confront. Specifically, when randomly primed to consider the expectations of institutional reference groups, clergy exhibit significantly higher levels of conservatism and report higher levels of political engagement, which is in line with their church's institutional preferences more generally. Our findings underscore the need for experimental methodology to make increased inroads into understanding political outcomes in religious contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In England and Wales, 'approved premises' offer 24-hour staffed accommodation for high-risk offenders, most of whom are returning to the community from prison. With a move towards a standardised operating model, it is essential to be able to measure outcomes.Aims: Our aim is to collate and evaluate 'benchmarks' for approved premises.Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used to establish the impact of existing practice in all four approved premises in Wales. Data on well-being, life satisfaction, attitudes to violence and problem-solving abilities were recorded with 114 male residents (of 486), and attitudes to personality disorder and personal well-being/burnout with 30 staff (of 86), in both narrative style and according to a number of scales used within criminal justice and healthcare systems. Perceptions of environmental climate were assessed with both groups. Scores were compared with those from reference groups, including prisoners and secure hospital patients. Criminological outcomes (e.g. prison recall) were obtained for all 486 men.Results: Scores on the scales used were broadly comparable with those in relevant reference groups, but some showed floor or ceiling effects. Recall rates, whether directly from the premises or after further onward movement, were about 42% overall, comparable with those reported for similar offenders elsewhere.Conclusions: This paper provides a short battery of measurements for use as benchmarks of experience and outcomes in staffed community accommodation for high-risk men. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of counterfeit versions of luxury brands is a growing phenomenon. Viewing their use by others may lead consumers to change their perceptions of the genuine brand. In several experiments, female participants viewed (or imagined) a female of varying social classes using a counterfeit or genuine product and were subsequently asked about the genuine luxury brand. While people were drawn toward the genuine brand more when in-groups than out-groups used counterfeits, asymmetries occurred. Higher classes denigrated the brand when lower (versus higher) classes used counterfeit brands, but lower classes did not denigrate when higher classes used them. A conceptual account, based on asymmetries of social hierarchies and greater uncertainty of counterfeit (than genuine) product benefits, was supported, with feelings of connection to the luxury brand as mediator. Asymmetric effects were reduced among consumers highly familiar with the genuine brand. Implications for marketing and protection from brand dilution are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key question raised regarding conspicuous consumption is whether such consumption leads to positive or negative net externalities. The present paper examines how the presence of luxury and expensive properties within a local area affects the house prices in Taipei City. Positive externalities may be associated with improved urban amenities or reflected glory. Negative externalities may be associated with the adverse reference group effect; that is, repulsive envy. The paper discusses the spillover effects due to changes in neighborhood's housing characteristics, and shows significant spatial patterns in house prices and the importance of socioeconomic influences on house prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify social-psychological predictors of pro-environmental consumption intention in rural China. To this end, a proposed conceptual model was tested by analyzing the survey data derived from 972 rural respondents in Jiangxi province in south-eastern China. Results showed that the endorsement of traditional cultures (man-nature orientation and collectivism) was linked with pro-environmental consumption behaviuor, but was mediated by intentions. Personal attitudes (environmental cognition and environmental affect) and reference groups influenced both intention and behaviour. The results also provided good evidence of the intention-behaviour relationship. These findings provided a better understanding of the process in which Chinese rural residents developed their pro-environmental consumption behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer has been associated with deterioration of fine motor skill. Which aspects of motor performance are underlying this problem is unclear but important because manual motor deterioration could affect quality of life. The current study aims to investigate late effects of adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer on fine motor function, using both speed and accuracy measures.Method: We compared fine motor function of 174 women who had received adjuvant Cyclophosphamide Methotrexate 5-Fluorouracil chemotherapy for breast cancer on average 20 years ago with that of a population sample of 195 women without a history of cancer. Fine motor function was measured with the Purdue Pegboard Test and the Archimedes spiral test.Results: The group of chemotherapy-exposed breast cancer survivors was slower in drawing an Archimedes spiral than the reference group. Furthermore, in the chemotherapy-exposed subjects, we found that older age is related to more crossings of the spiral template, more return movements, and more deviations from the template. Such relationships were not observed within the reference group. No significant between-group differences were found for any of the Purdue Pegboard measures.Conclusions: Compared with a population-based reference group, Cyclophosphamide Methotrexate 5-Fluorouracil chemotherapy-exposed breast cancer survivors demonstrated motor slowing while drawing an Archimedes spiral, on average 20 years after completion of primary treatment. Furthermore, the Archimedes spiral test is a more sensitive measure than the Purdue Pegboard Test to assess fine manual motor performance in long-term breast cancer survivors following chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lay perceptions and experiences of social location have been commonly framed with reference to social class. However, complex responses to, and ambivalence over, class categories have raised interesting analytic questions relating to how sociological concepts are operationalized in empirical research. For example, prior researchers have argued that processes of class dis-identification signify moral unease with the nature of classed inequalities, yet dis-identification may also in part reflect a poor fit between 'social class' as a category and the ways in which people accord meaning to, and evaluate, their related experiences of socio-economic inequality. Differently framed questions about social comparison, aligned more closely with people's own terms of reference, offer an interesting alternative avenue for exploring subjective experiences of inequality. This paper explores some of these questions through an analysis of new empirical data, generated in the context of recession. In the analysis reported here, class identification was common. Nevertheless, whether or not people self identified in class terms, class relevant issues were perceived and described in highly diverse ways, and lay views on class revealed it to be a very aggregated as well as multifaceted construct. It is argued that it enables a particular, not general, perspective on social comparison. The paper therefore goes on to examine how study participants compared themselves with familiar others, identified by themselves. The evidence illuminates social positioning in terms of constraint, agency and (for some) movement, and offers insight into very diverse experiences of inequality, through the comparisons that people made. Their comparisons are situated, and pragmatic, accounts of the material contexts in which people live their lives. Linked evaluations are circumscribed and strongly tied to these proximate material contexts.The paper draws out implications for theorizing lay perspectives on class, and subjective experiences of inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides a method to better understand how objective conditions of deprivation are translated into subjective feelings of deprivation using a strand of the recent literature on relative deprivation, and applies this method to labor deprivation in Morocco. We postulate that gender norms are associated with identity and the reference group that people compare themselves with. We find that the reference group plays a pivotal role in understanding how feelings of labor deprivation are generated and this can explain the apparent mismatch between objective conditions of deprivation and subjective feelings of deprivation related to joblessness among young men and women. It can also potentially help governments design public policies that address objective conditions of deprivation, such as unemployment, with a better understanding of subjective implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated differential item functioning (DIF) mechanisms in the context of differential testlet effects across subgroups. Specifically, we investigated DIF manifestations when the stochastic ordering assumption on the nuisance dimension in a testlet does not hold. DIF hypotheses were formulated analytically using a parametric marginal item response function approach and compared with empirical DIF results from a unidimensional item response theory approach. The comparisons were made in terms of type of DIF (uniform or non-uniform) and direction (whether the focal or reference group was advantaged). In general, the DIF hypotheses were supported by the empirical results, showing the usefulness of the parametric approach in explaining DIF mechanisms. Both analytical predictions of DIF and the empirical results provide insights into conditions where a particular type of DIF becomes dominant in a specific DIF direction, which is useful for the study of DIF causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theory of planned behavior was used to predict participants' ( n = 219) sun protection intentions and (longitudinally) self-reported behavior from attitudes, perceptions of control, and subjective norms. Norm focus theory was incorporated by distinguishing injunctive and descriptive norms. In turn, subjective descriptive and injunctive norms were examined in relation to the norms of a salient referent group: university students. Referent group norms were found to be associated with subjective norms, and to influence intentions indirectly. A marginal interaction of referent group descriptive and injunctive norms was also observed on behavior. Results highlight the importance of examining indirect effects in order to capture the effect of group-level processes when multiple sources and levels of normative influence are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article estimates peer influences on the alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use of UK adolescents. We present evidence of large, positive and statistically significant peer effects in all three behaviours when classmates are taken as the reference group. We also find large, positive and statistically significant associations between own substance use and friends' substance use. When both reference groups are considered simultaneously, the influence of classmates either disappears or is much reduced, whereas the association between own and friends' behaviours does not change. The suggestion is that classmate behaviour is primarily relevant only inasmuch as it proxies for friends' behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two methods are currently in use at Educational Testing Service ( ETS) for equating observed item difficulty statistics. The first method involves the linear equating of item statistics in an observed sample to reference statistics on the same items. The second method, or the item response curve ( IRC) method, involves the summation of conditional observed item statistics across the reference population total score frequencies. This article introduces a quick and effective method for obtaining the reference distribution for the transition from the linear equating method to the IRC method without recalculating all the item difficulties. More specifically, a mathematical formula is derived to estimate the score distribution of a reference group that maintains the current item difficulty scale. Future research is needed to compare the performance of the two approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer ( LGBTQ) individuals often rely on conceptions of family that fall outside of heteronormative definitions regarding blood or legal ties. As a consequence, there is a greater potential for conflict between family identities and identification options on survey instruments. Drawing on interviews with 100 LGBTQ parents, the authors examined conflicts between identity and identification faced by LGBTQ parents who must describe their parent-child relationships on census surveys. They found that in cases where parents lack biological or legal ties or where the legal relationship is established after the parent-child relationship (e.g., with second-parent adoption), parents often rely on alternative definitions of family when completing surveys. When navigating identification options, participants consider the survey intent and structure, heteronormative legal and biological frameworks of family, and emotional kinship ties. The findings suggest the need for researchers to consider the heterogeneity within each category of parent-child relationship captured on surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The aim of this study was to examine mortality in patients with both type 1 diabetes ( T1 D) and coeliac disease ( CD). Methods Between 1969 and 2008, we identified individuals with CD through biopsy reports from all pathology departments ( n = 28) in Sweden. T1 D was defined as a diagnosis of diabetes recorded in the Swedish National Patient Register between 1964 and 2009 in individuals aged ≤30 years. During follow-up, we identified 960 patients with both T1 D and CD. For each individual with T1 D and CD, we selected up to five subjects with T1 D alone (i.e. no CD), matched for sex, age and calendar period of diagnosis, as the reference group ( n = 4608). Using a stratified Cox regression analysis with CD as a time-dependent covariate, we estimated the risk of death in patients with both T1 D and CD compared with those with T1 D alone. Results Stratifying for time since CD diagnosis, CD was not a risk factor for death in patients with T1 D during the first 5 years after CD diagnosis [hazard ratio ( HR) 0.87, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.43-1.73], but thereafter the HR for mortality increased as a function of follow-up time (5 to <10 years, HR 1.44, 95% CI 0.74-2.79; 10 to <15 years, HR 1.88, 95% CI 0.81-4.36). Having a CD diagnosis for ≥15 years was associated with a 2.80-fold increased risk of death in individuals with T1 D (95% CI 1.28-6.12). Conclusion A diagnosis of CD for ≥15 years increases the risk of death in patients with T1 D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Higher thyroid-stimulating hormone ( TSH) levels are associated with differentiated thyroid cancers ( DTC). To validate this association, we compared TSH levels obtained from euthyroid patients with DTC with TSH levels from controls in the general population. Design and patients The case group included 1759 patients with DTC, who underwent thyroid surgery at Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital. The control group ( n = 1548), who had participated in the Thyroid Disease Prevalence Study were used as a healthy control group. The subjects were divided into four groups of similar size according to their TSH levels, with the first quartile used as a reference group. Results The mean TSH level of the case group was significantly higher than the mean TSH level of the control group (1.95 ± 0.9 mIU/l vs 1.62 ± 0.8 mIU/l, P < 0.001), and was associated with DTC risk. Multiple logistic regression, after controlling for age, gender and the presence of a family history of thyroid cancer, showed that the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the second, third and fourth quartiles of TSH levels were 1.27 (1.03-1.57), 1.55 (1.25-1.92) and 2.21 (1.78-2.74) respectively. No significant differences were observed in mean TSH levels in patients with different tumour stages and tumour sizes. Conclusion Having a high TSH level within the normal range is an independent risk factor for DTC, and may contribute to the initiation of thyroid carcinogenesis. TSH levels in patients with thyroid nodules may be used as diagnostic adjuncts for the identification of high-risk patients, who require further investigation and/or surgical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the shortcomings of the Malaysian official poverty line, this paper offers several alternative regional poverty line estimations with varying underlying assumptions. Using the Household Expenditure Survey 2004/2005, poverty lines are estimated based on the consumption patterns of 10th and 20th percentile household per capita expenditure. The regional poverty lines from these reference groups produced robust poverty measurement rankings across regions in the country. We suggest that the poverty lines from both reference groups be used as lower and upper poverty lines for the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite that it involves mobs, bystanders, and political theater-three classic concepts in social psychology-academics have neglected analyzing the Lara Logan sexual assault case through these lenses. I explore how the case has been discussed in the media and suggest that analysis of the mob and bystanders has been, oddly, lacking. I argue that the best reference group to use when discussing this case is not other journalists or even other women who have survived assaults, but is instead enemy women who have survived politically motivated wartime gang sexual assaults. Most observers have overlooked the relevant reference group due to focusing on the traits of the victim, rather than on the context of the event itself. I argue that the case conforms to important dimensions: (1) the sociological norm that gang violence involves premeditation, (2) an agreement of values among perpetrators, and (3) that the violence itself lacked cultural and social legitimacy. Logan was likely targeted because she was a 'stranger'; she was saved, in part, for the same reason. The case illustrates known patterns of mob mentalities and bystander intervention, yet it is unlike most cases of both nonwartime gender violence and violence against journalists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both adults and adolescents often conform their behavior and opinions to peer groups, even when they themselves know better. The current study investigated this phenomenon in 24 groups of 4 children between 4;2 and 4;9 years of age. Children often made their judgments conform to those of 3 peers, who had made obviously erroneous but unanimous public judgments right before them. A follow-up study with 18 groups of 4 children between 4;0 and 4;6 years of age revealed that children did not change their 'real' judgment of the situation, but only their public expression of it. Preschool children are subject to peer pressure, indicating sensitivity to peers as a primary social reference group already during the preschool years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enlargement of the European Union (EU) has stirred discussion about the relevance of the traditional EU poverty indicator which measures poverty in relative and national terms. As a result of diverging living conditions of the poor in the old and new member states, some authors have argued in favour of alternative poverty measures. One line of thought is that the reference groups people use for evaluating their living standard have Europeanised and that a poverty measure should incorporate this evolution. Bowing on the rich literature on the conceptualisation of poverty and reference group theory, we argue that a distinction must be made between privately oriented reference groups and publicly oriented reference groups. Although research has mainly focused on the former type of reference groups, only the latter offers a norm to define the poverty threshold. We conclude with a research proposal to construct poverty lines driven by publicly oriented reference groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the effect of a change in housing consumption of various reference groups on predicted own house price. I employ a spatial autoregressive model and find that an increase in average house size of the eight nearest neighbors and the largest houses in the district has a negative effect on predicted house price, whereas the effect of an increase in average house size of the further neighbors (9th through 16th neighbors) and the smallest houses in the district on predicted house price is positive. This suggests that the “envy effect” dominates with respect to the nearest and largest neighbors, whereas the “basking in the reflected glory” effect dominates with respect to the further smallest neighbors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new index of relative deprivation is derived axiomatically. Thanks to an asymptotically concave individual contribution function, the new measure provides a sounder quantification to the concept of relative deprivation as conceptualized in the seminal work of Runciman (1966 ) and better reflects the sociological connotations of the phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extending the self-reference effect to the level of group identities, previous research has shown that participants' encoding of trait adjectives with reference to ingroups facilitates recall relative to a control condition in which judgments are made about adjectives' meanings. We contend that this experimental comparison may have exaggerated the extent of the group reference effect. Two studies are reported that examine this contention. In Study 1 participants encoded adjectives with reference to an ingroup, an outgroup or to its semantic properties. Study 2 was nearly identical but required that adjectives be encoded with reference to an ingroup, the personal self or a specific person other than the self. Notwithstanding the use of more stringent controls, both studies provided evidence for the group reference effect. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two studies were conducted to investigate the role of social identity in appraisals of the purpose and acceptance of surveillance. In Study 1 (N = 112), a survey study demonstrated that there is a negative relationship between identification with one's city and the extent to which public closed circuit television (CCTV) surveillance is perceived as an invasion of privacy. This relationship was mediated by perceptions that the purpose of surveillance is to ensure safety. Study 2 (N = 139) manipulated identity salience at the sub-group and superordinate level and the source of surveillance. Results demonstrated that surveillance originating from fellow sub-group members was perceived as less privacy invading than surveillance originating from the superordinate group, but only when that sub-group identity was salient. No differences in perceptions of privacy invasion were found when the more inclusive identity was made salient. We argue that whether surveillance is perceived as an invasion of privacy depends on the perceived social relationship with the source of the surveillance—surveillance is perceived as more acceptable when it originates from a group with which one identifies or shares an identity. Practical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This article was published online on 25 February 2009. An error was subsequently identified. This notice is included in the online and print versions to indicate that both have been corrected 12 January 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examines the effects of group status on self-esteem when individuals are outperformed by an in-group target (Experiments I and 2) or an out-group (Experiment 2). The main aim was to examine different self-protective mechanisms when the current standing of the in-group vis-à-vis another group is either unfavourable (low status) or favourable (high status). Experiment I showed that when outperformed by an in-group target, the members of a low status group reported higher self-esteem than members of a high status group. Moreover, this effect was mediated by group identification. Experiment 2 replicated the previous results and gave rise to similar effects on investment in the group. The perceived relevance of the comparison group appeared to protect the self-esteem of high status group members. This research demonstrates the mediating role of self-protection mechanisms such as group identification and the perceived relevance of a comparison group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heads of R&D departments are those most responsible for the adaptation of firms' human resource management (HRM) practices to the idiosyncrasies of their departments. From their description, this paper analyzes the HRM practices in R&D departments and the adaptation achieved in four different firms. The data suggest that the main adaptations are produced primarily in recruiting and organizing the work of R&D personnel. In contrast to suggestions in the specialized literature, less adaptation is found in other HRM practices analyzed (managerial support and degree of delegation, compensation and career plans). Psychological theories of procedural justice and social comparison can improve our understanding of such results. The organizational structure affects the reference group for such comparisons and, consequently, the R&D managers' capacity to adapt such practices. Based on these arguments, the delegation of HRM practices to R&D departments will enhance the degree of adaptation of such policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research on the social identity approach to attitude-behaviour relations has operationalized group norms as a mixture of both descriptive information (i.e. what most people do themselves) and injunctive information (i.e. what most people approve of). Two experiments (Study 1 = 185 participants; Study 2 = 238 participants) were conducted to tease apart the relative effects of descriptive and injunctive group norms. In both studies, university students' attitudes towards current campus issues were obtained, the descriptive and injunctive group norms were manipulated, and participants' post-manipulation attitudes, behavioural willingness, and behaviour were assessed. Study 2 also examined the role of norm source (i.e. in-group vs. out-group injunctive and descriptive norms). In both studies, the injunctive and descriptive in-group norms interacted significantly to influence attitudes, behavioural willingness, and behaviour. Study 2 revealed that out-group norms were largely ineffective. The research illustrates that in-groups interactively influence decisions, not only by what they say, but also by what they do, and asserts the value of considering the interaction of descriptive and injunctive norms in accounts of normative influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly in recent years, the involvement of disabled people as co-researchers has been regarded as ‘good practice’. This has been informed by growing participatory and emancipatory research paradigms as well as user-focused policy imperatives. The benefits of these shifts apply to the research itself (improved definition, direction, applicability and impact), to non-disabled researchers (personal growth and enhanced understanding of the reflexive research process), to people with disabilities involved as researchers or collaborators (personal growth and enhanced opportunities), and (if externally funded) to the funder whose ways of operating are likely to be challenged profoundly. In this paper, Ann Lewis, Sarah Parsons and Christopher Robertson (based at the University of Birmingham), Anthony Feiler, Beth Tarleton and Debby Watson (based at the University of Bristol) and Richard Byers, Jill Davies, Ann Fergusson and Claire Marvin (based at the University of Cambridge) discuss the work of three independent research teams carrying out concurrent projects. The authors share their experiences of trying to take seriously the participation of disabled people in research. All three projects were informed, to a significant degree, by their respective reference groups of disabled people. The work of these groups in each of the three projects is outlined and then discussed in relation to five common themes: formal contracts with members of reference groups; considerations concerning drawing on an established reference group; planning for reference group involvement; style of reference group involvement; and building on good practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identity is a central focus of research in the social sciences, national and international politics, and everyday discourse. This volume brings together an interdisciplinary set of social scientists who study personal and social identity. The chapters span childhood through emerging adulthood. This chapter introduces the three goals of the volume: (1) illustrating how the study of identity development is enriched by an interdisciplinary approach, (2) providing a rich developmental picture of personal and social identity development, and (3) examining the intersections of multiple identities. We illustrate these three goals with brief descriptions of how they are addressed in the other chapters in the volume. This chapter also highlights the three goals of the study with data from our ongoing longitudinal study of diverse emerging adults' college pathways. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chapters in this volume address the need for a better understanding of the development of intersecting identities over age and context. The chapters provide valuable insights into the development of identities, particularly group identities. They highlight common processes across identities, such as the role of contrast and comparison and the need for individual effort in identity formation. They suggest the value of studying multiple identities in interaction and using interdisciplinary approaches. However, research across identities and disciplines poses challenges for investigators. These challenges can be met and the field advanced by collaborative studies among scholars who represent different disciplines and have studied different identities. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does a representative's position in the group influence behaviour in intergroup negotiation? Applying insights from the social identity approach (specifically self-categorization theory), the effects of group member prototypicality, accountability and group attractiveness on competitiveness in intergroup bargaining were examined. As representatives of their group, participants engaged in a computer-mediated negotiation with a simulated out-group opponent. In Experiment 1 (N = 114), representatives with a peripheral status in the group sent more competitive and fewer cooperative messages to the opponent than did prototypical representatives, but only under accountability. Experiment 2 (N = 110) replicated this finding, and showed that, under accountability, peripherals also made higher demands than did prototypicals, but only when group membership was perceived as attractive. Results are discussed in relation to impression management and strategic behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of identification with one's group on memory of stereotype consistent and inconsistent information about one's group were examined in two studies. In the first study, we focused on supporters of a low status soccer team, and observed that diehard fans were more likely to remember stereotype-inconsistent results of their team than fair-weather fans. This pattern was replicated in a second study, which was executed among supporters of a high status soccer team. We discuss the implications of these results for the role of motivational factors such as in-group identification in cognitive social psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pursuit of migration is an extreme example of the severing of ties with, or a distancing from, one's friends and home. The ‘failure’ of migrants to assimilate cannot plausibly be attributed merely to an urge to stay close to their friends, or they might not have migrated to begin with. Non-assimilation arises from a fear of enhanced relative deprivation if they reduce their distance from the natives as a reference group. Fundamentally, migration is a change of those with whom people associate. But it would be wrong to infer that a change of associates crowds out a change of behavior, given the associates. Through their actions, migrants can elect to associate more with some groups, less with others. However, when actions to keep in check the weight accorded to the rich natives as a reference group are not viable, the very choice of migration destination could be affected in an unexpected way: a country that is not so rich could be preferable to a country that is rich; migrants will protect themselves from an unfavorable comparison by not migrating to where the comparison, when unavoidable, would be highly unfavorable. Relatedly, the variance in the assimilation effort of migrants across host countries could arise from the variance in the income distance with the natives: the richer the natives, the weaker the effort to assimilate, other things held the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information given to witnesses after an identification decision greatly alters their impressions of the original event and importantly, their identification confidence. Two experiments investigated the possibility that the effect of feedback on confidence may be altered according to the strength of the witness's cues to accuracy. Experiment 1 used a manipulation of exposure duration to alter recognition accuracy prior to the delivery of confirming, disconfirming or no feedback. While the feedback effect was not different across exposure duration conditions, decisions that were made more quickly were less likely to show large changes in confidence due to feedback. Experiment 2 manipulated the distinctiveness of faces and showed that the effects of feedback on confidence, and on the resolution of the confidence judgement, were more pronounced when disconfirming feedback was given for distinctive faces and when confirming feedback was given for typical faces. These studies showed that the impressions that participants formed of their likely accuracy might moderate the effects of feedback on decision confidence. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of interorganizational imitation has been an important strand in the recent literature on institutional theory. This paper offers new insights for our understanding of mimetic isomorphism and its reliance on legitimacy: we suggest that legitimacy-based reference groups guide firms in their mimetic behaviour, that firms undertake imitation even against their own ex ante information, and that legitimacy-based imitation contributes negatively to firms' profitability. We examine Portuguese bank branching decisions between 1988 and 1996 and find that banks imitate their legitimacy-based groups, and not only towards ex ante (firm-specific) attractive locations, but also towards unattractive locations; we also find that mimetic branching produces a negative effect on profitability. We conclude that these results show the importance of legitimacy pressures on organization decisions and the tension between the pressure to conform and the pressure to perform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research investigated age and gender stereotypes in relation to adaptive performance. Using methods similar to those used in Schein's studies (1973, 1975) , 496 undergraduate students rated 1 of 7 targets on 6 dimensions of adaptive performance. All of the targets varied in age (25, 40, or 55 years) and gender, except one that was age and gender neutral. The 7th served as a reference group and was an age- and gender-neutral target. Results showed that older targets were perceived as less adaptable across most of the dimensions of adaptability. Further, men and women were perceived differently, but differences were consistent with many prevalent gender stereotypes. Finally, female participants tended to rate all targets more favorably than male participants. Implications for human resources management and future research on stereotypes at work are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reconstruction of a Pied-noir identity reflects the transformations experienced in a recent group made up of very dissimilar individuals: there is no Pied-noir vote, identity, or memory. But there are identity strategies that seek to transform a set of heterogeneous persons into a homogenous group through the intervention of tradition; strategies that are, moreover, disputed, particularly by those Pieds-noirs who do not consider themselves to be represented by the repatriating organisations. Furthermore, identity traumas affect some individuals considered to be Pieds-noirs but who, faced with the sequels of a tragic Algerian war, identify Algerian immigration with the return of the former rebels – the fellagas – to what they used to call metropolitan France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oaxaca and Ransom (1999) show that a detailed decomposition of the coefficients effect is destined to suffer from an identification problem since the detailed coefficients effect attributed to dummy variables is not invariant to the choice of reference groups. It turns out that the identification problem in the decomposition equation is a disguised identification problem of constant and dummy variables in a regression equation. This article proposes a simple and natural remedy for this problem by using "normalized" regressions, which enable me to identify the constant and estimates of each dummy variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model of factors that lead members of an advantaged group to perform collective action intended to help a disadvantaged out-group is tested. A distinction is made between easy and demanding collective activities. Two different routes are expected to lead to collective action. First, an indirect link is proposed between a common in-group identity and collective action. This link is believed to be mediated by perceived mobilization resources. Second, the link between relative deprivation on behalf of others (RDBO) and collective action will vary according to the type of behavior considered. While, RDBO is expected to be directly associated with easy collective behavior, the link between ROBO and demanding collective activities is mediated through perceived mobilization resources. In turn, perceived resources are linked to both forms of collective behaviors, The predicted model is tested among 273 undergraduate respondents. Findings point to the relevance of all factors considered and the pivotal role of perceived mobilization resources on collective action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to illustrate how a discourse-oriented approach would open new theoretical and methodological perspectives to the study of community identity. Here outlined is the idea that community identity is discursively constructed by members in order to lend meaning to experience. An analysis of how community identity is constructed in subjects' discourse with reference to the local context is presented. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research reported within examines two hypotheses derived from reference group theory regarding the inverse effects of religiosity on the prevalence of premarital, extramarital, and homosexual relations across faith groups. The first hypothesis asserts that the strength of these inverse religiosity effects varies systematically across faith groups, such that as religious proscriptiveness increases, the effect of religiosity increases. The second hypothesis predicts that there will also be systematic variation in these effects across these forms of nonmarital sexual relations such that faith group variation in the effects of personal religiosity will be most evident with regard to premarital sexual relations but relatively invariant with regard to extramarital and homosexual relations. Using logistic regression analyses with data available in the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) 1988–1996 General Social Surveys, we find a mixed pattern of results which provides limited support for these hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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