Journal article

The how and the when of the social cure: A conceptual model of group- and individual-level mechanisms linking social identity to health and well-being


Authors listHaeusser, Jan A.; Junker, Nina M.; van Dick, Rolf

Publication year2020

Pages721-732

JournalEuropean Journal of Social Psychology

Volume number50

Issue number4

ISSN0046-2772

eISSN1099-0992

Open access statusHybrid

DOI Linkhttps://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2668

PublisherWiley


Abstract
In this article, we aim at theoretical specification and integration of mechanisms proposed within the Social Identity Approach to Health and Well-being. We differentiate group-level and individual-level effects of shared social identity by distinguishing three different aspects: individual identification, group identification, and individually perceived group identification. We discuss specific group-level mechanisms (i.e., mutual social support and collective self-efficacy) and individual level-mechanisms (i.e., attribution and appraisal processes regarding stressors and resources) for each of the three aspects. A core conclusion is that the positive effects of shared social identity on health and well-being crucially depend on its close relationship with social support, and that although social support is an interindividual phenomenon, it is intraindividual mechanisms-attribution and appraisal-that shape the psychological partnership between social identity and social support. Therefore, we put special emphasis on cross-level interactions between group- and individual-level mechanisms, which have been widely neglected in earlier research.



Citation Styles

Harvard Citation styleHaeusser, J., Junker, N. and van Dick, R. (2020) The how and the when of the social cure: A conceptual model of group- and individual-level mechanisms linking social identity to health and well-being, European Journal of Social Psychology, 50(4), pp. 721-732. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2668

APA Citation styleHaeusser, J., Junker, N., & van Dick, R. (2020). The how and the when of the social cure: A conceptual model of group- and individual-level mechanisms linking social identity to health and well-being. European Journal of Social Psychology. 50(4), 721-732. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2668



Keywords


APPRAISALgroup-levelintergroup contactINTERVENTIONSLEADERSHIPSELF-CATEGORIZATIONSOCIAL IDENTITYSocial support

Last updated on 2025-10-06 at 11:12