Early conceptions of national identity: causes and consequences

Hussak, Larisa

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/97700 Copy

Description

Title

Early conceptions of national identity: causes and consequences

Author(s)

Hussak, Larisa

Issue Date

2017-04-19

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Cimpian, Andrei

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Baillargeon, Renée

Committee Member(s)

• Cohen, Dov
• Fisher, Cynthia
• Stern, Chadly

Department of Study

Psychology

Discipline

Psychology

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• National identity
• Social cognition
• Psychological essentialism
• Intergroup attitudes

Abstract

National identity is a powerful category marker that has been found to influence people’s perceptions and judgments of social others. While one’s nationality is technically defined by circumstantial factors (e.g., birthplace, residence), as opposed to inherent or biological features, adults still describe their national identity as being extremely important to their personal identity (ANES, 2004), and strong national identification has profound—and often pernicious—consequences for how one views national outgroups (e.g., Huynh, Devos, & Altman, 2015). Here, I explore the origins of national identity conceptions; specifically, I ask whether young children (beginning at age 5) are aware of the extrinsic determinants of nationality, or whether their conceptions are more biologically-based, as is their reasoning about other influential social categories (e.g., gender; Rhodes & Gelman, 2009). I tested the prediction that at the age when children first become aware of their national identity as a category marker, they will hold an essentialist conception of nationality, believing that it is a biologically-based, stable, and inherent feature of their selves. However, as they age, this tendency will decline, and they will instead attribute nationality to more environmentally-determined factors (Studies 1-3). Further, I investigated the consequences of an early essentialist conception of national identity, and specifically the role that essentialism plays in predicting outgroup-denigrating beliefs and behaviors (Studies 3 & 4). In uncovering the early manifestations and consequences of national identity beliefs, the present research presents an important first look at the development of children’s understanding of nation-state membership, and the lasting impact it may have on their interactions with the world.

Graduation Semester

2017-05

Type of Resource

text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/97700

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2017 Larisa Hussak

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