Taking the strain: Social identity, social support, and the experience of stress
Abstract
The social identity/self‐categorization model of stress suggests that social identity can play a role in protecting group members from adverse reactions to strain because it provides a basis for group members to receive and benefit from social support. To examine this model, two studies were conducted with groups exposed to extreme levels of strain: patients recovering from heart surgery (Study 1), bomb disposal officers and bar staff (Study 2). Consistent with predictions, in both studies there was a strong positive correlation between social identification and both social support and life/job satisfaction and a strong negative correlation between social identification and stress. In both studies path analysis also indicated that social support was a significant mediator of the relationship between (a) social identification and stress and (b) social identification and life/job satisfaction. In addition, Study 2 revealed that group membership plays a significant role in perceptions of how stressful different types of work are. Implications for the conceptualization of stress and social support are discussed.
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Social support protects against stress.
“In the social psychology literature, social support has been shown to protect against stress (Haslam et al. 2005).”
From Experiences of autism acceptance and mental health in autistic adults (2018) · cites this paper as Haslam et al. 2005
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- Authors
- Haslam, S. A., O'Brien, A., Jetten, J., Vormedal, K., & Penna, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Exeter (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Haslam, S. Alexander
- Venue
- British Journal of Social Psychology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2005-09
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 355-370
- ISSN
- 0144-6665 (ISSN-L)
- 2044-8309
- OpenAlex
- W2169671134
- Cited by
- 771
- References
- 65
- Citations by year
- 2026: 36 · 2025: 67 · 2024: 65 · 2023: 54 · 2022: 62 · 2021: 52 · 2020: 52 · 2019: 38 · 2018: 40 · 2017: 36 · 2016: 38 · 2015: 43 · 2014: 38 · 2013: 33 · 2012: 21
- FWCI
- 41.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- British Journal of Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social Power and Status Dynamics
- Keywords
- social identity, social support, occupational stress, self-categorization, social identification, job satisfaction, life satisfaction, group membership, bar staff, cardiac surgery patients
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Depression, Family, Humans, Job Satisfaction, Male, Middle Aged, Quality of Life, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Environment, Social Identification, Social Support, Stress, Psychological
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