Membership of multiple groups and identification with those groups have been found to be positively related to individuals' health and well-being. The present research sought to replicate this finding in two large, representative samples. Moreover, we sought to extend previous work by shedding light on the mechanisms mediating the effects of multiple group membership on positive health outcomes. Specifically, we proposed that the links between multiple group membership and positive health outcomes are mediated by reduced feelings of loneliness. In Study 1, a two-wave survey of a German population, participants (N = 989) were asked about their identification with family, friends, neighbourhood, their country and humanity and 4 weeks later about feelings of loneliness, physical health and stress. As hypothesized, multiple identifications predicted lower stress. They were also associated with a marginal reduction in physical symptoms of poor health. Both relationships were mediated by the absence of loneliness. In Study 2, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of German participants (N = 1635), which also included a sixth target of identification (Europe). Results replicated findings from Study 1 and also found similar relations associated with smaller (family, friends and neighbourhood) versus larger (country, Europe and Humanity) foci of identification.

中文翻译：

---

孤独感的减少介导了多重群体认同对幸福感的影响

研究发现，多个群体的成员身份以及对这些群体的认同与个人的健康和福祉呈正相关。目前的研究试图在两个大的、有代表性的样本中复制这一发现。此外，我们试图通过阐明多种群体成员身份对积极健康结果影响的调节机制来扩展之前的工作。具体来说，我们提出，多重群体成员身份与积极健康结果之间的联系是通过减少孤独感来调节的。在研究 1 中，对德国人口进行了两波调查，参与者（N  = 989）被问及他们对家人、朋友、邻居、国家和人性的认同，并在 4 周后询问了孤独感、身体健康和压力的感受。正如假设的那样，多次识别预示着压力会降低。它们还与健康状况不佳的身体症状的轻微减少有关。这两种关系都是通过消除孤独感来调节的。在研究2中，我们对德国参与者（ N = 1635）进行了横断面调查 ，其中还包括第六个识别目标（欧洲）。结果重复了研究 1 的结果，并且还发现与较小（家庭、朋友和邻居）与较大（国家、欧洲和人类）认同焦点相关的相似关系。