AUTHOR=Mosso Cristina O. , Caldera Alessandra , Re Camilla 

TITLE=“I Am Not Just a Prisoner”: the effects of social identification on well-being in Italy

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1466376

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1466376

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p>Recent research on social cures has posited that one’s social identity associated with group membership can promote adjustment and affect well-being, especially for vulnerable individuals. In this study, we argue that, although the negative consequences of group-based stigma affect prisoners’ well-being, having multiple social identities can protect them and mitigate the detrimental effects of stigma. The results of this cross-sectional study reveal that group identification with prisoners (<italic>N</italic> = 52) was negatively associated with well-being and anticipated discrimination. In contrast, education was positively associated with self-regulation and life satisfaction. Group identification with prisoners threatens self-regulation when the salience is controlled. We discuss the significance of our findings in the context of stigma and resocialization.</p>