Religious identification operates through importance, deference, commitment, and superiority.

Evidence

Roccas, Sagiv, Schwartz, Halevy, and Eidelson (2008) contend that an individual can identify with a group in multiple ways, including through importance, deference, commitment, and superiority. Religion can serve as an important aspect of the self, demand deference to norms and values, expect self-sacrifice from members, and promote its worldview as the true and right path (Wellman & Tokuno, 2004). — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 910

Categorization

• DEFINE: Introduces Roccas et al.’s four-mode framework for understanding group identification, useful as a vocabulary for later analysis.