المستخلص: |
The objective of the present research is to study the effect of the induction of social categorization according to "Tunisian" and "European" groups on the extent of differentiation / assimilation of self with regard to the two groups categories in a context in witch the non membership group is overestimated by comparison with the membership group. This research, being of the experimental type, has consisted in presenting at two different moments, to the same subjects (42 Tunisians), the same list of features identified through an exploratory survey; as characteristic of "Tunisians" and "Europeans The manipulated independent variable lies in the presence or absence of categorization of features according to their "Tunisian" or "European" characters. The activation of categorization has consisted in asking the subjects to undertake first a classification of features according as they apply; in their opinion, more to "Tunisians " or to "Europeans Then, two weeks later, the same subjects were asked to define themselves by assessing, on a scale of the Likert type, their position in relation to the features thus differentiated. The measured dependant variable was the difference between the scores obtained in the first and the second experimental conditions. The results show that, under the condition of group categorization, the subjects distance themselves from the national group as well as from the European one, as compared to the condition of non categorization. Il would seem that, by defining themselves in a general context of depreciation of their own membership group, the subjects seek a compromise between the need to maintain positive self-esteem and the sense of belonging.
|