Excessive group inclusion triggers subgroup formation rather than full individuation

Evidence

In addition to examining the group formation process, a fruitful avenue for future research is examining the dissolution of groups and the formation of subgroups. According to ODT, feelings of deindividuation should motivate people to adopt more exclusive group identities as opposed to seeking total individuation. Thus, the need for distinctiveness can be satisfied in two complementary and sometimes sequential ways: (1) making intragroup distinctions, that is, dividing an overly inclusive group into more distinctive subgroups with which to identify, and (2) making intergroup comparisons between one’s subgroup and 138 • Cynthia L. — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 847

Categorization

• DEFINE: Distinctiveness operates through two sequential channels — intragroup subdivision then intergroup comparison — a mechanism worth retaining.
• XREF: connects to: Recategorization can backfire by making subgroups vie to embody the shared identity. — Blake M. Riek, Eric W. Mania, and Samuel L. Gaertner, Intergroup Threat and Outgroup…, 176