Participation in a new cultural group and patterns of identification in a globalized world: The moderating role of similarity

Globalization impacts the identities of millions. This research first
investigates whether participating in a new cultural group predicts
higher identification with it while remaining in one’s group of
origin. Second, it tests whether the association between identification with the new group (following participation) and with the
group of origin depends on the perceived similarity between
groups. Studies 1 and 2 (in Kyrgyzstan) showed that participating
in the American group predicted greater identification with
Americans. This, in turn, positively predicted identification with
Kyrgyz in contexts promoting similarities; a negative association
between identities emerged when similarities were not promoted
(Study 2). Studies 3 (in Kyrgyzstan) and 4 (in Canada) replicated
these findings measuring similarity and with a repeated measures
methodology (Study 4).