Unity through diversity: Value-in-diversity beliefs, work group diversity, and group identification.

Research on work group diversity has more or less neglected the possibility that reactions to diversity may be informed by individuals' beliefs about the value of diversity (vs. homogeneity) for their work group. We studied the role of such diversity beliefs as a moderator of the relationship between work group diversity and individuals' identification with the work group across 2 studies. Study 1 was a cross-sectional survey that focused on gender diversity and gender diversity beliefs. Study 2 was a laboratory experiment in which work group diversity and diversity beliefs were manipulated. Results of both studies support the prediction that work group diversity and group identification are more positively related the more individuals believe in the value of diversity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The contribution of sport fan social identity to the production of prosocial behavior.

Experimenters observed the number of sport-team-identified fans who contributed money to charity workers before and after 6 football games. Charity workers were identified as supporters of 1 of the 2 teams competing, or of neither team. Consistent with predictions, more fans contributed to in-group than to out-group-supporting charity workers. In addition, charity workers identified with either team received a higher frequency of contributions from fans of both teams together after the game relative to before; this pattern was reversed among charity workers not identified with a team. This unexpected finding suggests an increased salience of a general sport-fan identification after the game relative to before. Finally, fans of winning teams in particular contributed more to any charity worker (i.e., collapsed across in-group, out-group, and neutral supporters) after the game than before, but this pattern was reversed among fans of losing teams. This final finding is discussed with reference to both self-categorization theory and the literature on mood and prosocial behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)