Shared Identity
Participants will write about someone who is completely different from them, eventually working their way to writing about how this different person is similar. Through this process they will hopefully develop and different perspective of this person.
Reasoning
Humans often feel a natural sense of competition or mistrust toward those perceived as different, especially during times of fear or resource scarcity. However, reflecting on shared humanity can help overcome these barriers and foster cooperation. Recognizing even small commonalities, such as shared interests, can build a sense of connection without negating differences. Instead, acknowledging both similarities and differences can lead to greater appreciation and reduced conflict.
Procedure
The participant will first choose a person in their life who seems to be very different from them in every way they can imagine. Whether that’s different interests or beliefs or even someone they’ve personally had a conflict with. The participant should then make a list of the things they actually have in common with this person whatever it is. Afterwards the participant should review the list they made. They should ask themselves if the things listed make them see this person in a different light. They should notice that this person isn’t just an unfamiliar person or an outsider but just another regular person. After this they should repeat this exercise whenever they meet someone who initially seems different from them, someone who has a conflict with them.
Primary Citation & Study Summary:
Levine, M., Prosser, A., Evans, D., & Reicher, S. (2005). Identity and emergency intervention: How social group membership and inclusiveness of group boundaries shape helping behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31(4), 443-453.
Male university students in England were more likely to help a fallen jogger when the jogger was a fellow fan of the same soccer team than when the jogger was a fan of a rival team (as indicated by their shirt). But when participants were reminded of a shared identity with the fallen rival (being a soccer fan), they were more likely to help than they were to help a non-fan.
Leary, M. R., Tipsord, J. M., & Tate, E. B. (2008). Allo-inclusive identity: Incorporating the social and natural worlds into one's sense of self. In H. A. Wayment & J. J. Bauer (Eds.), Transcending self-interest: Psychological explorations of the quiet ego (pp. 137-147). Washington: APA.
Evidence
Additional studies explore how a sense of shared identity affects various groups:
Caucasian U.S. citizens read one of two statements: one that highlighted the shared immigrant identity of all American residents, or one that highlighted the separate identity of Caucasian citizens and immigrants. Compared to those who read about separate identity, those who read about shared identity were more likely to donate a 40-cent participation bonus to a nonprofit human rights organization.
Norwegian adults who indicated that “Norwegians and Muslim immigrants represent one and the same group” were more likely to support the rights of Muslim immigrants than Norwegian adults who indicated that “Norwegians and Muslim immigrants represent two different groups.” A study with Caucasian U.S. citizens had similar findings with respect to immigrants.
Additional cited References
Klar, S. (2018). When common identities decrease trust: An experimental study of partisan women. American Journal of Political Science, 62(3), 610–622.
Kunst, J. R., Thomsen, L., Sam, D. L., & Berry, J. W. (2015). "We are in this together": Common group identity predicts majority members' active acculturation efforts to integrate immigrants. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41(10), 1438.