In-group criticism by highly identifying in-group members: group protection or psychological distance?

Research by Crane and Platow (2010), demonstrated that highly identifying group members were more willing to express in-group criticism than low identifiers when group member behaviour contravened group injunctive norms. The authors suggest that criticism from highly identifying group members is an opportunity to preserve the in-group’s identity. An alternative explanation is that the expression of in-group criticism is used by disenchanted highly identifying group members to achieve psychological distance from the in-group.
The present study examined the plausibility of the psychological distance explanation for in-group criticism by highly identified group members. Two-hundred and fifty-two third-year psychology students participated in the study. The design of the study was a 2 (behaviour violates injunctive group norms: yes, no) x 3 (prevalence of injunctive norm violating behaviour: single group member, minority, majority) between-subjects design with a single
measured predictor variable: in-group identification. In-group identification was measured at two time points: prior to and following the reported intention to disagree with the group. The dependent measure was the level of intention to express disagreement with the group. The results support the analysis of in-group criticism given by Crane and Platow (2010). That is, high identifying group members criticise the group to preserve the in-group identity. Future directions, theoretical and practical implications are discussed students participated in the study. The design of the study was a 2 (behaviour violates injunctive group norms: yes, no) x 3 (prevalence of injunctive norm violating behaviour: single group member, minority, majority) between-subjects design with a single measured predictor variable: in-group identification. In-group identification was measured at two time points: prior to and following the reported intention to disagree with the group. The dependent measure was the level of intention to express disagreement with the group. The results support the analysis of in-group criticism given by Crane and Platow (2010). That is, high identifying group members criticise the group to preserve the in-group identity. Future directions, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.