Mixed individuals strategically select contextual identity to jointly satisfy affiliation and uniqueness.

Evidence

Taken together, to achieve optimal distinctiveness, we suggest that Mixed individuals may identify with the numerical minority mono-racial group in an intergroup context or with a Mixed identity in an intragroup context, as long as it allows for both identifying with the situationally present group as well as recognizing their uniqueness defined by their membership in another group. These predictions are yet to be tested empirically. — Anna X. Huang, Jacqueline M. Chen, and Juliane Degner, Being One or the Other, Both or Neither, 92

Categorization

• SEED: The stated untested status is an opening: an empirical test could examine whether being the numeric-minority identity’s sole member inside an essentializing ingroup forces differentiation at the cost of solidarity.
• XREF: connects to: Efforts to be different routinely converge into uniformity. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 164; Mixed identities involve ambiguously crossing mutually exclusive categories within a single social domain — Anna X. Huang, Jacqueline M. Chen, and Juliane Degner, Being One or the Other, Both or…, 15; Mixed individuals may recategorize into broader minoritized superordinate groups. — Anna X. Huang, Jacqueline M. Chen, and Juliane Degner, Being One or the Other, Both or…, 47 (+13 more)

Broader Connections

• Identification balances competing needs for inclusion and distinctiveness #corroborates (0.93) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 577
• Mixed members treat racial-ethnic identities as context-switchable need satisfiers #expands (0.92)
• Identity is simultaneously about belonging and about differentiating from others. #corroborates (0.90) — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 118
• Humans balance opposing needs for belonging and uniqueness through group identification. #corroborates (0.88) — Anna X. Huang, Jacqueline M. Chen, and Juliane Degner, Being One or the Other, Both or Neither, 96
• Mixed individuals shift identification within a single social domain. #expands (0.85) — Anna X. Huang, Jacqueline M. Chen, and Juliane Degner, Being One or the Other, Both or Neither, 79
• Mixed-identity individuals shift ingroup identification according to which dimension holds higher status #exemplifies (0.85) — Anna X. Huang, Jacqueline M. Chen, and Juliane Degner, Being One or the Other, Both or Neither, 73
• Optimal distinctiveness needs drive individuals to join or leave groups by size #corroborates (0.80) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 835
• Identity needs for uniqueness and belonging balance at one optimal point #qualifies (0.80) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 549
• Different identity motives drive Mixed individuals toward different target groups. #expands (0.78) — Anna X. Huang, Jacqueline M. Chen, and Juliane Degner, Being One or the Other, Both or Neither, 105
• People strategically select which stereotype to apply based on self-interest #expands (0.78)
• Constructivist mixed individuals shift identification toward higher-status groups for personal gain. #qualifies (0.75) — Anna X. Huang, Jacqueline M. Chen, and Juliane Degner, Being One or the Other, Both or Neither, 88