In search of self-definition: Motivational primacy of the individual self,motivational primacy of the collective self, or contextual primacy?

Four investigations examined the dynamics between the individual self (self -representation independent of group membership) and the collective self (s elf-representation derived from group membership). Relative to participants whose collective self was threatened, participants whose individual self w as threatened (a) considered the threat more severe, (b) experienced a more negative mood, (c) reported more anger, and (d) derogated to a greater ext ent the source of threat. In addition, a self-description task indicated th at participants generate more aspects of their individual than collective s elf. These effects occurred even when confounding variables (i.e., accessib ility of the selves, group identification, individualism and collectivism, importance of threat domain) were controlled. The individual self is motiva tionally primary.