In-group attachment and glorification, perceptions of cognition-based ambivalence as contributing to the group, and positive affect

One study examined modes of social identification (‘attachment’ to the group and in-group
‘glorification’) that can lead people to experience positive psychological consequences from
their cognition-based ambivalent evaluations of the in-group. As expected, among highly
attached participants, cognitive in-group ambivalence predicted a stronger perception of their
ambivalent views about fellow group members as a personal contribution to the in-group. By
contrast, among highly glorifying participants, cognitive in-group ambivalence predicted a
weaker perception of their ambivalent views about fellow group members as a personal
contribution to the in-group. Besides, among highly attached but not highly glorifying
participants, cognitive in-group ambivalence elicited a positive affective response. These
findings point to the importance of taking both group members’ individual differences in facets
of social identification and the cognitive components of their in-group ambivalence into account
when considering reactions to holding such ambivalent attitude because these factors can
moderate these effects.