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The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
In-group identification mediates the effects of subjective in-group status on mental health
Fabio Sani1, Maria Elena Magrin, Marta Scrignaro
1School of Psychology, University of Dundee, UK. f.sani@dundee.ac.uk
Abstract:
We present two studies exploring the effects of the relative standing of one's in-group in the social hierarchy, which we conceptualize as 'subjective in-group status', on mental health and well-being. Study 1 focuses on the subjective status of a professional in-group (prison guards) while Study 2 concerns the subjective status of the family in-group. Results show that higher subjective in-group status predicts better mental health (e.g., less depression) and greater well-being (e.g., higher satisfaction with life). Also, results demonstrate that the effects of subjective in-group status on mental health are mediated by the extent to which one subjectively identifies with the in-group.
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