PSYC1005 Study Guide - Final Guide: Deep Learning, Belongingness, Ingroups And Outgroups
Social Identity and Academic Outcomes
Self and Education
• The 'self' in one way or another, is a concept that pervades the education literature.
• Self and learning are, in fact, intertwined, with self often understood as the outcome of learning but
also as an antecedent to learning.
• At times, in the education literature, the concept of self is explicitly examined and developed, at other
times, however, it is used in a manner that, at best, assumes a shared understanding with readers.
An Analysis from Psychology: The Social Identity Approach
• An approach to understanding human behaviour.
• This approach assumes that cognitive representations of the self take the form of "self-categorisations".
• There are cognitive groups of self and others as the same/identical/interchangeable.
• There are at least three levels of abstraction of self-categorisation:
1. The subordinate level of personal self-categorisation, eg: myself as unique.
2. The superordinate level of self as a human being.
3. The intermediate level of in-group - outgroup categorisation, eg: self as an Australian.
• Personal self-categorisations have NO privileged status in defining the self.
• While personal self-categorisation are akin to what is typically called 'personal identity', social self-
categorisation represent people's social identities.
• Variability in value and centrality is referred to in terms of levels of 'social identification'.
- "I'm glad to be a member of <my group>".
- Being a member of <my group> is an important part of my self-image".
- "I feel strong ties to other members of <my group>".
Social Identification Processes in Educational Contexts
• These assumptions allow us to speak meaningfully of learners not simply as isolated individuals, each
with his or her own idiosyncrasies, but as "students," or as "consumers," or as "women," or as
"psychology majors".
• More importantly, these terms are not just a form of shorthand for our writing - they are assumed to
capture meaningful self-representations that have knowable consequences, both promotive and
inhibitory.
• Three domains in which social identifications play a role in educational contexts:
1. Approaches to learning and student performance,
2. Physical and psychological well-being of students,
3. Engagement.
Social Identification: Learning Approaches and Performance
Study 1:
Transition to
University and
"Belongingness"
• Questions students asked:
- "Most professors at this school are interested in me".
- "Other students here like me the way I am".
- "Some students feel confident that they are mastering their coursework but
other students do not feel so confident".
• Measure during first term of first year, and then during second term of first year.
• Increased sense of belonging led to enhanced subjective scholastic confidence at
Time 2 (controlling for Time 1 scholastic confidence).
Study 2: Social
Identification and
Learning
Approaches
• Measured:
- Social identification with the discipline, eg: psychology.
- Self-reported deep approach to learning - "I work hard at my studies
because I find the material interesting".
- Self-reported approach to learning - "I see no point in learning material
which is not likely to be in the exam".
• Own deep approach to learning is positively associated with disciplinary social
identification and actual grades.
• Own surface approach to learning is negatively associated with disciplinary social
identification and actual grades.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
