Project description
Exploring group formation processes in conflict situations
Research has advanced our understanding of the economic and psychological factors underlying human group conflict. However, most studies assume that competing groups are static, overlooking how conflict dynamically influences group formation and competitive success. With support from the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the GROUPFORM project will investigate the drivers and effects of group formation in conflict situations. It will examine how individuals decide which groups to join, how group size and social identity interact in this process, and how these dynamics affect group competitiveness and success. By combining game-theoretic analyses with experiments, the project will explore how structural features such as group size and psychological factors like social identity shape group formation under conflict.
Objective
Theoretical and experimental research has significantly advanced our understanding of the economic and psychological factors underpinning human group conflict. Yet, a critical gap persists: nearly all existing research assumes that competing groups are fixed. This neglects the fact that conflict actively and dynamically affects group formation and that this can have a crucial impact on competitive success. Here, I propose to examine key drivers and consequences of such group formation processes under conditions of conflict.
Specifically, I contribute to answering three related research questions: (i) How do people choose which groups to join under conditions of conflict? (ii) How do group size and social identity interact to influence these choices? And (iii): How do such group formation processes impact groups’ competitiveness and success?
I tackle these questions via two independent yet complementary work packages (‘WPs’):
WP1 combines game-theoretic analyses with a series of experiments to systematically examine how key group characteristics impact group choice under conditions of conflict. Specifically, it tests for the influence of structural aspects such as group size and psychological factors tied to social identity.
WP2 uses agent-based simulations to investigate how individuals' preferences for group choice evolve over time in response to the adoption of group-level strategies aimed at resolving collective action problems. Part 1 will assess how variations in the type and effectiveness of these strategies affect group choice, size, and success. Part 2 provides a theoretical analysis of the role of social identity in group formation, complementing WP1’s empirical findings.
This project advances a novel line of inquiry into the precursors and mechanisms underlying intergroup conflict, contributing significant insights into how structural and psychological factors drive group formation in this context.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.