Recategorization and ingroup projection: Two processes of identity uncertainty reduction

Four experiments, conducted in South Korea and Scotland, drew on uncertainty–identity theory to investigate how recategorization and ingroup projection interplay to maintain a clear, certain sense of identity in people's hierarchy of self-categorizations. Experiment 1 (N = 74) found that people who were made to feel uncertain about a subgroup identity that was central to their self-concept, identified more strongly with and felt more certain about their superordinate identity (H1). In Experiment 2 (N = 70), people were made to feel uncertain about their superordinate identity. Where ingroup projection was low, people also felt uncertain about their subgroup identity (H2). However, when ingroup projection was high, they did not feel uncertain about their subgroup identity (H3). These two experiments support our proposition that uncertainty at the subgroup and the superordinate level can be restored by recategorization and ingroup projection. Experiments 3 and 4 (Ns = 91 and 67) converge to show that when people were uncertain about both superordinate and subgroup identity, they resolved this dual uncertainty by enhancing perceived entitativity of the most central group. If the subgroup was more central, they increased support for subgroup separation so that the subgroup had a clear boundary whereas if the superordiate group was more central, they increased support for integration so that the superordinate group could be a cohesive entity without internal fragmentation (H4). The findings are discussed in terms of group resilience in the face of social change and uncertainty.