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Self-Help Support Groups

Self-Help Support Groups

Self-help support groups are voluntary, community-based organizations that provide a platform for individuals with shared concerns to exchange support, insights, and practical strategies for coping with life challenges. Typically led by group members or paraprofessionals, these groups form a cornerstone of mental health care, especially in reaching populations that are underserved by traditional healthcare systems.
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Self-Concept

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The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison

The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison

According to Charles Cooley, we base our image on what we think other people see (Cooley 1902). We imagine how we must appear to others, then react to this speculation. We don certain clothes, prepare our hair in a particular manner, wear makeup, use cologne, and the like—all with the notion that our presentation of ourselves is going to affect how others perceive us. We expect a certain reaction, and, if lucky, we get the one we desire and feel good about it. But more than that, Cooley...

Social Identity

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Social identity constitutes a significant aspect of an individual’s self-concept, shaped by membership in various social groups, including gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and political affiliation. Individuals associate specific traits with particular social groups, leading to internalization of these traits. For example, musicians are often perceived as creative, while women are frequently associated with nurturing tendencies. Once individuals identify with a particular...

Deindividuation

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Deindividuation is a form of social influence on an individual’s behavior such that the individual engages in unusual or non-normal behavior while in a group setting. Why? Because in these group settings, the individual no longer sees themselves as an individual anymore, disinhibiting their behavior and personal restraint.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test

The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test

Published on: November 19, 2015

The group self.

Naomi Ellemers¹

¹Institute for Psychological Research, Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, Leiden University, Post Office Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, Netherlands. Ellemers@fsw.leidenuniv.nl

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|May 19, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

People often act as group members, influencing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Understanding the group self is key to managing both positive and negative group dynamics.

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Area of Science:

Social Psychology
Sociology
Behavioral Science

Background:

Individuals often perceive themselves as unique, yet frequently act as group members.
Group behavior can manifest positively (e.g., altruism) or negatively (e.g., intergroup hostility).

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the conditions under which the group self supersedes the individual self.
To understand the impact of the group self on cognition, emotion, and behavior.
To identify strategies for mitigating negative group behaviors by addressing the group self.

Main Methods:

This study synthesizes existing research on social identity and group dynamics.
It employs a theoretical framework to analyze the interplay between individual and group identity.
Qualitative analysis of case studies illustrating group behavior is discussed.

Main Results:

The salience of the group self is context-dependent, influencing decision-making and social interactions.
Group identification can lead to enhanced cooperation and in-group support.
Conversely, strong group identification can foster out-group prejudice and conflict.

Conclusions:

Understanding the dynamics of the group self is crucial for addressing complex social phenomena.
Interventions targeting group identity can potentially redirect negative behaviors and promote positive social outcomes.
Further research is needed to explore the nuances of individual versus group self-primacy in diverse cultural contexts.