Final answer:
Human beings have fundamental needs that lead them to define themselves through group affiliations: the need for belongingness, the need for self-esteem, and the need for cognitive clarity. These needs contribute to the formation of in-groups, with which individuals identify, and out-groups, which they view as separate.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to social group identity theory, human beings have innate needs that drive them to define themselves in relation to groups, leading to the distinction between in-groups and out-groups. These needs are:
- A need for belongingness, where individuals feel accepted and part of a community, leading them to identify with certain groups that they perceive as similar to themselves.
- A need for self-esteem, where individuals seek approval and recognition to maintain or enhance their self-image, often through in-group loyalty and status.
- A need for cognitive clarity, where individuals define themselves by contrasting their in-groups against out-groups, which can sometimes result in ethnocentrism or other forms of prejudice.
Social identity is shaped by different factors such as family, culture, language, and geography, which all play a part in the formation of in-groups that an individual feels they belong to and out-groups they see as distinct from themselves.