Self-categorization theory: Difference between revisions

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===Depersonalization and self-stereotyping ===

According to self-categorization theory, depersonalization describes a process of [[Self-Stereotyping|self-stereotyping]]. This is where, under conditions of social category [[Self-categorization theory#Determinants of categorization|salience]] and consequent accentuation, "people come to see themselves more as the interchangeable exemplars of a social category than as unique personalities defined by their differences from others".<ref name="Turner (1985)"/> Under these conditions a perceiver directly bases their behaviour and beliefs on the [[norm (social)|norms]], goals and needs of a salient ingroup.<ref name="Haslam, et al. (2011)."/><ref name="Brown, R. J. & Turner, J. C. (1981).">Brown, R. J. & Turner, J. C. (1981). Interpersonal and intergroup behaviour. In J. C. Turner & H. Giles (Eds.), Intergroup Behaviour (pp. 33-65). Oxford: Blackwell..</ref> For example, if a person's salient self-category becomes 'army officer' then that person is more likely to act in terms of the norms associated with that category (e.g. to wear a uniform, follow orders, and distrust an enemy) and less likely to act in terms of other potential self-categories.<ref name="Haslam, A. S. (2001)."/> Here the person can be said to be accentuating the similarities between his or herself and other members of the 'army officers' category.

Turner and colleagues stress that depersonalization is not a loss of self, but rather a ''redefinition'' of the self in terms of group membership.<ref name="McGarty, C (1999)."/> A depersonalized self, or a social identity, is every bit as valid and meaningful as a personalized self, or personal identity.<ref name="Haslam, et al. (2011)."/> A loss of self is sometimes referred to using the alternative term [[deindividuation]]. Further, although the term [[depersonalization]] has been used in [[clinical psychology]] to describe a type of disordered experience, this is completely different from depersonalization in the sense intended by self-categorization theory authors.