Does Identification Hurt or Help Under Identity Threat? The Exacerbating Role of Identity Centrality on Feeling Offended and the Buffering Role of Coworker Solidarity on Identity-Protection Behaviors

Abstract

Research on how identification impacts the experience of identity threat has uncovered mixed findings, which the current work helps resolve. We uncouple two conceptually distinct aspects of identification that research has conflated: identity centrality and solidarity. Identity centrality is focused inward on the extent to which an identity is important and salient to an individual, whereas solidarity is focused outward on the strength of the bond an individual perceives with another person or group. We propose that higher centrality exacerbates reactions to identity threat and ultimately predicts identity-protection responses (e.g., derogating or avoiding the threat source), whereas greater solidarity with coworkers mitigates negative responses stemming from identity threat. We consider two groups with whom individuals might experience solidarity in organizations: (1) others who share the threatened identity and (2) coworkers. We test and find support for our hypotheses in two studies using two-wave, time-lagged online experimental methods investigating political identity (Study 1) and working parent identity (Study 2). Notably, solidarity with coworkers provides a buffering effect while solidarity with others sharing the threatened identity does so to a lesser degree. Our work helps reconcile how and why identity centrality and certain forms of solidarity can differentially influence identity threat reactions.