Predicting social identification over time: The role of group and personality factors

Researchers have proposed a variety of factors that influence social identification, but no study has yet systematically investigated these influences over time. This study set out to establish what group and individual factors affect social identification over a period of one year. Three-hundred and twenty-seven high school students completed a questionnaire that measured social identification with the school, Big Five personality traits and group functioning factors on two occasions approximately one year apart. Factor analyses at both phases showed that there were three dimensions underlying group functioning: perceptions of academic support, group support, and leniency. Multiple regression analysis and structural equation modelling revealed that Conscientiousness and the perception of group support seemed to influence social identification over time. The study supported the view that both group functioning factors and individual differences are important determinants of social identification.