Which of the following is a strategy individuals tend to use when a group member behaves in an embarrassing or immoral way that threatens to reduce self-esteem for each individual within the group? disidentifying with the group increasing thoughts pertaining to mortality increasing the prominence of one's social identity pertaining to the group reducing certainty within the group

The strategy that individuals tend to use when a group member behaves in an embarrassing or immoral way, which threatens to reduce self-esteem for each individual within the group, is **disidentifying with the group**. Disidentification involves distancing oneself from the group to protect one's self-esteem and social identity. When a member of a group acts in a way that is perceived as negative, individuals may choose to minimize their association with that group to avoid the negative implications of that member's behavior on their own self-image. The other options do not directly address the need to protect self-esteem in the context of group behavior: - **Increasing thoughts pertaining to mortality** is more related to existential concerns rather than group dynamics. - **Increasing the prominence of one's social identity pertaining to the group** would likely reinforce the connection to the group rather than disassociate from it. - **Reducing certainty within the group** does not specifically relate to self-esteem protection in response to embarrassing behavior. Thus, the correct answer is **disidentifying with the group**.