自我研究的理论转向与群体参照效应实验范式的变革

The Theoretical Shift of Self-theory Research and the Reform of the Group-Reference Effect Experimental Paradigm

自Johnson等人2002年在记忆领域发现群体参照效应至今,该领域的研究一直在对实验范式的不断反思与改进中前行。每一次实验范式的发展均与自我理论的推动有着密切的关联。研究以社会心理学中自我由个体层面向群体层面的理论转向为背景,剖析了群体参照效应研究在社会认同途径下,经由语义控制组至外群控制组范式发展所隐含的深层原因。同时,对现今使用较为普遍内群-外群范式进行了评述,分析了它的优势与不足。研究认为为顺应自我理论的整合与验证各成分地位关系的未来发展趋向,就群体参照效应范式发展而言,以一般他人为控制组可能是满足整合要求的一种解决路径。

Since Johnson et al. （2002） examined the group-reference effect in the domain of memory, the development of this field has been accompanied by the paradigm＇s introspection and improvement. The development of the experimental paradigm is associated with the motivation of the self-theory in every stage. The research analyzed the underlying causes for the shift of the group-reference effect paradigm from the semantic to the out-group control condition through the social identity approach as the self-theory of social psychology shifted from the individual level to the group level. In the initial phase, the study of group-reference effect imitated the paradigm of self- reference effect. The researchers mainly suggested that the group-reference was equal to the self-reference, and these two reference tasks were compared with the semantic process of the controlling group for examining the memory effect. Subsequently, scholars represented by Bennett disputed strongly about the controlling condition of semantic processing. They thought that the semantic controlling group was not equivalent to group reference group in terms of the amount of memory, image and processing mechanism. As self-categorization theory emerged, this theory of self-concept provided a strong theoretical support and foundation to establish a new experimental paradigm for group-reference. Then they claimed that this research field should confirm the comparison between in-group and out-group at the same level as the experimental paradigm. At present, although the in-group vs. out-group comparison guided by social identity theory is the most commonly used paradigm, it also has some limitations. Out-group, as the control condition, is still questioned by researchers, for the image of out-group was weaker than the in-group task. In the operational process of implementation of the experimental paradigm, it is difficult to ensure that ingroup and out-group homogenize with each other completely. When the in-group is as important as the out- group, the group-reference effect is not easily to be tbund. Although the existing paradigm of group-reference effect has some shortcomings, it is still better able to solve the examination of collective self in self theory. In fact, each group-reference effect paradigm has its own adaptation range, and it meets the development requirements of group-reference effect at different periods of time. As for the future direction of group-reference effect research, it depends on the theoretical change of direction in self-theory research. It will be a new developmental trend of self-theory to build a new way to integrate the individual self, relational self and col!ective self to verify the positions of the three aspects under the integrated framework. To follow with the integrating trend in the future of self-theory research, researchers need to explore a suitable integrated experimental paradigm. In terms of the development of the group-reference effect, taking the other reference group as the control group not only can make up the weak iconicity of the out-group task, but also can enhance the verification standards of the group-reference effect, and meanwhile it can set up a bridge connecting the comparison between individual self and collective self. In general, taking the out-group as the control group will be a reasonable approach to satisfy the requirement of self-theory integration in the future.