The group is part of the self
Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner) shows that we do not just join groups, we internalise them. The values, norms and status of the group become part of how we see ourselves.
This is why losing a group (a unit, a team, a service) feels like losing a piece of who you are. It literally is.
Why it matters in transition
Transition often strips away the group before any new group is in place. Until belonging is restored, regulation and motivation are harder than they should be.
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Related research papers
- Identity in Occupational Transition: Evidence, Research and Future Directions for UK PolicyGardner, G. (2025). AURIS.
- Identity Performance Psychology | White Paper Vol. 2DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19818259
Continue exploring related research
Further reading from the Knowledge Hub on the same themes.
- Psychology · 1 min readBelonging
Belonging is a physiological resource. Without it, regulation and recovery are harder. With it, they become possible.
- Psychology · 1 min readRole Exit
Role exit is the structured process of leaving a role that has shaped the self. It has predictable stages and predictable risks.
- Psychology · 1 min readSelf-Concept
Self-concept is the organised set of beliefs you hold about yourself. It is updateable, and that is the work of transition.
- Research · 4 min readThe Identity Gap in Service Leaver Support: Why It Matters
Practical resettlement support is comprehensive, yet our review of UK transition guidance found very little explicit discussion of identity as a psychological process. This article explains what we examined, what we found, and where identity adaptation fits alongside existing support.
- White Papers · 2 min readWhite Paper 0, From Transition to Service Provider Identity Adaptation
A conceptual position paper reframing the Identity After the Uniform research programme: transition is the trigger, but the phenomenon under study is identity adaptation after a trained, high-pressure service role.
About the author
Gemma Gardner
Founder and Research Lead, AURIS Institute
Gemma Gardner leads the AURIS research programme on identity and occupational transition. Her work builds the evidence base behind the AURIS Framework and the Identity System, drawing on interviews with service leavers, families and the organisations that support them.
- Lead author, Identity Performance Psychology white paper series
- Principal investigator, AURIS identity adaptation interview programme
- Author of AURIS submissions on identity in occupational transition
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