Becoming a Partisan: American Identity Uncertainty Contributes to Heightened within-Group Policing

• In Event: 30260 - Joint Roundtables: Section on Social Psychology and Section on Sociology of Emotions
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 5: Social Media and Attitudes

Abstract

Uncertainty-identity theory proposes that entitative groups help assuage self-uncertainty by providing a clear self-image. With regard to American partisanship, the theory implies that as antagonism between the parties rises, it may erode a shared sense of what it means to be American, prompting greater identification with more clearly-defined political parties. I argue that as American identity certainty fades, partisans will be more closely drawn to their own party. Moreover, as this happens, partisans will be more inclined to punish their own relatively moderate in-group members that are not sufficiently hostile to the opposition, while rewarding notably vitriolic members of their group. To test these predictions, I use crowd-sourced surveys with vignettes based in fictitious social media environments. Predictions are supported: superordinate identity uncertainty prompts greater identification with a political party, which predicts rewarding extreme group members and punishing moderates.

Author

• Jon Overton, University of North Carolina-Charlotte