University of Maryland LibrariesDigital Repository at the University of Maryland
    • Login
    View Item 
    •   DRUM
    • Theses and Dissertations from UMD
    • UMD Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   DRUM
    • Theses and Dissertations from UMD
    • UMD Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    A Motivational Analysis of Group Schisms

    View/Open
    Dugas_umd_0117E_18485.pdf (698.1Kb)
    (RESTRICTED ACCESS)
    No. of downloads: 0

    Date
    2017
    Author
    Dugas, Michelle
    Advisor
    Kruglanski, Arie W
    DRUM DOI
    https://doi.org/10.13016/M2BC3SZ74
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    Splinter groups are frequently recognized to be more violent and extreme in ideology than their parent groups, suggesting a need to understand how such schisms arise. Despite their practical significance, however, group schisms are relatively neglected as a topic of interest in social psychological research. Drawing from the literatures of motivation and group processes, the present research sought to further social psychological perspectives on group schisms with an emphasis on explaining the phenomenon of extreme splinter groups. A motivational model of group schisms exploring the roles of goal commitment, group commitment, and expectancy beliefs was developed and tested across six studies using varied designs and samples. Pilot Studies 1-3 supported the central tenet that commitment to a focal goal is associated with increased support for a schism from a moderate group to join an extreme splinter group. Studies 1-3 extended these findings by exploring the effects of social identity and expectancy beliefs. Study 1 found that commitment to a focal goal increased the desire to split from a group to pursue more extreme means to a goal, but social identification with the parent group worked independently to reduce desire for a schism. Study 2 revealed that the relationship between goal commitment and support for a schism could be attenuated when the parent group was perceived as open to compromise. Finally, Study 3 yielded evidence of a three-way interaction effect of commitment, identification with a parent group, and perceptions of a potential splinter group’s efficacy on support for a schism. Implications of these findings for understanding group processes in general and extremist splinter groups in particular are discussed.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/1903/20292
    Collections
    • Psychology Theses and Dissertations
    • UMD Theses and Dissertations

    DRUM is brought to you by the University of Maryland Libraries
    University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-7011 (301)314-1328.
    Please send us your comments.
    Web Accessibility
     

     

    Browse

    All of DRUMCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister
    Pages
    About DRUMAbout Download Statistics

    DRUM is brought to you by the University of Maryland Libraries
    University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-7011 (301)314-1328.
    Please send us your comments.
    Web Accessibility