Social representations, social attribution and social identity: The intergroup images of ‘public’ and ‘comprehensive’ schoolboys

摘要: Investigated the relationship between social representations, intergroup causal attributions and search for a positive identity in two rival groups from British secondary education. Part I studied shared beliefs 0f 20 ‘Public’ (PS) ‘Comprehensive’ (CS) schoolboys (age 16 years) concerning similarities differences types of schoolboy. Each subject wrote short essay on topic these essays were content-analysed into 13 4 school. The agreed number points, but consensus within each group revealed distinct representations. Part II effect membership categorization success failure examinations. Twenty-four PS 24 CS boys {age 16–17 used 2 (school subjects) × stimuli) (success/failure) design, with one within-subject factors. read four background descriptions candidates university entrance, then made ratings. On page following description, subjects attributed candidate's performance to ability, effort, task difficulty luck; confidence rating was also made. Analyses variance suggested that second-order interactions subjects, stimuli achievement outcome most important. Public differentiated themselves by means ability (p < 0.08 effort 0.0005) attributions; tern luck 0.06). Part III processes same 48 subjects. 20—item questionnaire based Part I, 10 traits classified as Comprehensive; set half autostereotype heterostereotype traits. Subjects group-ratings, evaluations self-ratings trait. [2 (schools) (items) (stereotype)] computed dependent measure. For ratings main items 0.0001) differentially ascribed groups. In addition, valued CS-autostereotype highly 0.05) rated higher 0.0001). Results are discussed terms influence representations both differentiation; existence biases different modes differentiation chosen status Social Identity Theory is seen valuable framework which consider findings.