Toward a Unified Theory of Group Connection

Behavioral scientists have long been struck by the human tendency to connect with other individuals and groups. Three major approaches to group connection have been advanced: (a) the social cohesion approach, (b) the social identity approach, and (c) identity fusion theory. While each approach has garnered support, no one has attempted to integrate them. We address the need for integration by proposing a general theoretical framework that specifies the unique contributions of each approach, identifies the psychological phenomena each best explains, and reconciles theoretical inconsistencies. We then propose a network model that spells out how different aspects of the self-concept, in accordance with key insights from the three approaches, engender group connection.