'We're all individuals': group norms of individualism and collectivism, levels of identification and identity threat

Three studies were conducted to investigate the power of group norms of individualism and collectivism to guide self-definition and group behavior for people with low and high levels of group identification. Study 1 demonstrates that in an individualist culture (North America), those who identify highly with their national identity are more individualist than low identifiers. In contrast, in a collectivist culture (Indonesia) high identifiers are less individualist than low identifiers. Study 2 manipulates group norms of individualism and collectivism, and shows a similar pattern on a self-stereotyping measure: High identifiers are more likely to incorporate salient group norms prescribing individualism or collectivism into their self-concept than low identifiers. Study 3 replicates this effect and shows that high identifiers conform more strongly to group norms, and self-stereotype themselves in line with the salient norm than low identifiers when their group is threatened. Hence, the findings suggest that when there is a group norm of individualism, high identifiers may show individualist behavior as a result of conformity to salient group norms