How do youths identify with a nation? The effects of perceived identity compatibility and attitude consensus

• Main Author: Lau, Xin Xia
• Other Authors: Wan Ching
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Sociology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/70284
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This research examined the effects of perceived identity compatibility and attitude consensus on young adults’ national identification. Attitude consensus was speculated to moderate the effect of perceived identity compatibility on national identification. Specifically, the perceived identity compatibility of a superordinate national group and a subordinate youth group was explored. We hypothesized that when there is high attitude consensus, higher perceived identity compatibility among individuals will lead to stronger national identification, as compared to when there is lower perceived identity compatibility among individuals. On the other hand, when there is low attitude consensus, perceived identity compatibility among individuals will not affect national identification. As expected, the results showed that higher perceived identity compatibility predicted stronger national identification in the high attitude consensus condition but not in the low attitude consensus condition. Attitude consensus moderated the effect of perceived identity compatibility on national identification. Implications of the results on the development and maintenance of national identity will be discussed along with suggestions for future directions.