I have a general interest in group processes, especially group identification and its health, psychological, and societal implications. More specifically, in past years my research has been concerned with the developmental aspects of group identification, and with the implications of group identification for group schisms and for the perception of groups as temporally persistent entities. At present, the main focus of my research concerns the effects of group identification on health behavior and on mental health.

GROUP IDENTIFICATION AND HEALTH

Recently I have started a research program on the effects of group identification (i.e., one's sense of belonging to a group, coupled with a sense of commonality with other in-group members) on various health and well-being dimensions, especially mental health. A number of preliminary studies have confirmed – in line with work conducted by other social identity researchers -- that the stronger one's identification with a group, the more satisfied one is with group life, and the better his or her psychological and physical health. For instance, in a sample of Spanish and Scottish people I and my colleague Marina Herrera have found that those who are more strongly identified with their family are also less depressed, more satisfied with life, and experience less physical pain. I have also studied a group of guards working in an Italian prison, in collaboration with Maria Elena Magrin and Marta Scrignaro (both at the University of Milan Bicocca). In this study we have found that the guards who are more strongly identified with the group have lower levels of psychiatric disturbance and stress, and higher levels of job satisfaction. Currently I am leading a longitudinal research project, supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) of the UK, which is looking at the impact of identification with the family, the community, and another social group, on a number of physical and mental health dimensions. To know more about this project, please visit our web-site: http://healthingroups.wix.com/healthingroups.

DEVELOPMENTAL ASPECTS OF SOCIAL IDENTITY

A question I have tried to address over the last decade, in collaboration with Prof. Mark Bennett (University of Dundee), is that of how social identity develops in children. When does subjective identification with relevant groups (e.g., the family, the gender group) emerge? When do children start internalising the norms of these groups? And how flexible and context-sensitive are these social identities? We have addressed these and other related questions using a variety of research methods, ranging from controlled laboratory experiments to content analysis of verbal material. Our results suggest that subjective identification with particular social groups -- operationalised either as (i) self-stereotyping in terms of the normative behaviours and traits of the group, or as (ii) cognitive confusion between self and ingroup -- emerges between 5 and 7 years of age. Also, we have found that conceptions of ingroup identity vary as a function of the intergroup, comparative context. For instance, when describing the ingroup, "boys" are more likely to draw attention to being "brave" and "tough" when the cognitively salient outgroup is "girls," but "loud" and "talkative" when the salient outgroup is "grown up men."

SCHISMS IN GROUPS

A line of research that I have carried out since my PhD, in collaboration with Steve Reicher (University of St. Andrews) first and then with other colleagues, is to do with the genesis and development of schisms in social groups. Why do groups fall apart? What does lead a subgroup to secede from the parent group and form a new, breakaway group? Traditionally, social psychologists investigating groups have focussed their attention on uniformity and cohesion, virtually ignoring the questions above. Through my research -- which is based on both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of real groups (e.g., the Italian Communist Party, the Church of England) -- I have tried to right the balance. This research has revealed that social identity occupies a central role in the dynamics of schism. More precisely, at the basis of a schism there is normally an argument about the nature of the relationship between a change (i.e, either the adoption of a new norm or the revision of an old norm) and the group identity. Group members may either feel that the change is consistent with the group identity, or that it implies a radical subversion of the group identity, a denial of its "true," deep, historically grounded essence. Those who perceive identity subversion tend to experience negative emotions, perceive group disunity, and lessen their identification with the group. For these people, schism will constitute an option to escape from painful affect and from a group from which they feel increasingly alienated.

PERCEIVED COLLECTIVE CONTINUITY

Group members perceive their group as having temporal endurance, as being an entity that moves through time. What are the dimensions of perceived collective continuity (PCC)? How does it relate to central aspects of social identity? What are the implications of PCC for one's sense of well-being and mental health? And what are its psychological functions? Over the last five years I have carried out a research program aimed at addressing these issues, in collaboration with Mhairi Bowe (University of Dundee) and Marina Herrera (University of Valencia). We have found that PCC comprises two main dimensions -- one concerning continuity of beliefs, values, customs and traditions ("cultural" continuity), and one related with the perception that different events and ages in the history of the group are causally interconnected ("historical" continuity). We have also found that PCC is positively correlated with group-related cognitions, emotions, and behavioural intentions (e.g., "group identification," "collective self-esteem," and "collective action"), and with well-being indicators (especially social integration). Concerning psychological functions, our laboratory has produced experimental evidence that PCC -- being a form of symbolic immortality – may be used as a psychological defence against death-related thoughts. More specifically, mortality salience increases both PCC and group identification, and PCC mediates the effects of mortality salience on group identification.