Social Identity and Intragroup Differentiation as Subjective Social Control

In the present chapter, we argue that identification with ingroup norms and values may lead individuals to subjectively engage in processes analogous to social influence upon actual or represented ingroup instances. These subjective social influence processes may allow individuals to restore their confidence in the group and, hence, to re-establish a positive social identity.Topics include: the social psychological analysis of small groups and large social categories; group affiliation, social influence and intragroup differentiation; social categorization, social identification and intergroup differentiation; group prototypes as denotative norms; denotative vs prescriptive group norms in inter- and intragroup judgements; the 'black sheep effect'; the notion of 'subjective group dynamics'; 'subjective group dynamics' and the cognitive construction of deviance; derogation of ingroup deviates as a function of lack of perceived ingroup cohesiveness; derogation of ingroup deviates and upgrading of outgroup deviates as a prescriptive means to legitimize ingroup norms; the legitimizing role of outgroup 'converts'; a model of intergroup and intragroup differentiation; and 'subjective group dynamics' and 'referent informational influence.