Types of ingroup identification as a function of group type

Two empirical studies investigated the relation between different types of social groups and four core types of ingroup identification. It was hypothesized that particular types of group would be associated with particular types of ingroup identification. With minor discrepancies across samples, participants showed stronger social identification with social category groups, stronger communal identification with intimacy groups, and stronger interdependent identification with task groups. The results confirmed predictions and provided sufficient evidence to conclude that the manifestation of different types of ingroup identity varies as a function of the type of group that is most salient at the moment of identification.