Shared Identity

Hi,

This week's email is about a way to communicate more effectively with others.

The information here comes from this research article (no open-access version, but see my article on social identity for related background).

Here are the key practical points you should know:

• People communicate better when they feel that they share a social identity with their conversation partner.

• Shared identity can be based on various factors that people might have in common, like nationality, age, or interests.

• The benefits of shared identity involve both motivational mechanisms, like increased willingness to listen, and cognitive mechanisms, like increased attention to what’s being said.

• Social identity is somewhat fluid and context-dependent, so you can try to actively establish a shared social identity where needed.

• For example, if someone perceives you as an opponent because the two of you support different sports teams, you could create a shared identity by focusing on how you’re both fans of the same sport.

As always, I'm happy to hear your thoughts and questions.

Have a great week,
Itamar