Group Loyalty: Impact of Members' Identification and Contributions

Abstract

This study investigated how members' identification with a group and value (contributions) to it affected their loyalty/disloyalty. Loyalty was defined as helping the group while harming oneself, whereas disloyalty was defined as harming the group while helping oneself. For high contributors, loyalty was manifested by staying in the group and disloyalty was manifested by leaving. For low contributors, loyalty was manifested by leaving the group and disloyalty was manifested by staying. Results indicated that high group identification increased the likelihood that both high and low contributors decided to stay in the group. However, the impact of this decision on other members' welfare influenced how much stress participants experienced and how they evaluated themselves. Discussion focuses on the psychological mechanisms underlying group loyalty and the factors influencing its behavioral manifestations.