The model presented by Lee and Schwarz provides a novel explanation for the elementary mechanisms of psychological cleansing. I argue that the model could be extended to account for complex instances of psychological cleansing where the grounded procedures are not isolated and the opposing motives of separation and connection are entangled in a strategic interplay.

The social identity approach offers a more parsimonious and more comprehensive explanation for historical myths’ assumed coalition-building function than the target article's proposed mechanism based on fitness interdependence. Target article's assertion that social identity theory cannot explain certain characteristics of historical myths is based on a narrow interpretation of the social identity approach.