Making negational identity salient shifts voting choices toward shared out-group members

Evidence

Zhong et al. (2008a) manipulated the salience of negational identity by asking Asian and Latino participants to write about either their experiences as a non-white person or as a member of their racial in-group. When negational identity was made salient, participants were more likely to report that they would vote for Barack Obama (a nonwhite candidate) instead of Hilary Clinton (a white candidate) if given these choices in the Democratic primary. Although not directly tested, it is possible that people previously considered out-group members (blacks) were recategorized as in-group members (nonwhites) when negational identity was made salient (Zhong et al., 2008a). — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 1115

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to social identity theory’s category recategorization work, and to the common in-group identity model in intergroup relations literature. — connects to: Negational identity can build coalitions across minority groups by de-emphasizing in-group. — Chen-Bo Zhong, Adam D. Galinsky, and Miguel M. Unzueta, Negational racial identity and…, 47; Identity can be formed negationally by focusing on group non-membership. — Chen-Bo Zhong, Adam D. Galinsky, and Miguel M. Unzueta, Negational racial identity and…, 17; Racial minorities support minority candidates more when negational racial identity is salient — Chen-Bo Zhong, Adam D. Galinsky, and Miguel M. Unzueta, Negational racial identity and…, 20 (+6 more)