Graduation Date
Spring 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Psychology, option Academic Research
Committee Chair Name
Dr. Amber Gaffney
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Dr. Amanda Hahn
Second Committee Member Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Third Committee Member Name
Benjamin Anjewierden
Third Committee Member Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Keywords
Optimal distinctiveness theory, Uncertainty-Identity theory, Social Identity theory, Self-Categorization theory, Need to belong, Need to be different
Subject Categories
Psychology
Abstract
Uncertainty-identity theory and optimal distinctiveness theory posit separate but related motives for social identity. Whereas there has been evidence supporting each theory, little research has investigated the overlap between the two. More specifically, the needs for assimilation (belonging) and differentiation (uniqueness) as postulated by the optimal distinctiveness model may be understood as derivatives of the desire to reduce uncertainty in one’s self and future. In this study, I investigated the overlap between these three motives for social identity by experimentally testing the mediating effect of self-uncertainty on the relationship between the needs posited by optimal distinctiveness and social identity. Participants were sampled from the American population (N = 179) through the crowdsourcing platform Prolific. They were administered one of three randomly assigned need conditions and placed in either a minority or majority group following a dot estimation task. I predicted that participants experiencing uncertainty from the need for assimilation/distinctiveness manipulation would identify more strongly with the majority/minority than the minority/majority group due to the attractiveness of inclusive/exclusive groups when belonging/distinctiveness is threatened. The findings from this experiment did not demonstrate the mediating effect of uncertainty on the optimal distinctiveness model nor did the findings replicate prior work on the effect of optimal distinctiveness and self-uncertainty on group identification. The implications of these results for optimal distinctiveness theory are discussed.
Citation Style
APA
Recommended Citation
Hinojosa, Chad, "Uncertainty reduction as an underlying motive for optimal distinctiveness" (2025). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2310.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2310