Abstract

The present study investigated the relationship between dual social identity, ingroup projection, and attitudes toward the unification of Korea. We hypothesized that South Koreans who are characterized as having dual social identity, namely, those who identify themselves strongly with both the superordinate category (i.e., ethnic identity) and the subordinate category (i.e., national identity), would show high levels of ingroup projection, which in turn would predict negatively their attitudes toward unification of North and South Korea. In addition, we examined the moderating effect of the centrality of the superordinate and the subgroup identity on the relationship between dual identity and ingroup projection. Data from a stratified sample of South Korean adults (N = 1,600) revealed that, as expected, ingroup projection negatively mediated the relationship between dual identity and attitudes toward the unification of Korea. Importantly, the relationship between dual identity and ingroup projection was attenuated among those who perceived their superordinate identity as a more central aspect of themselves than their subgroup identity. We discuss the implications of our findings for the role of social identity in social integration research in the context of the unification of Korea.