The article analyzes theories of group identification and presents findings of a study of self-identification with the beggars' group of a person begging for alms. As it has been discovered, in the process of begging a person forms a negative stereotype of the beggars' group. Individuals with a long history of begging identify themselves with the beggars' group to a much lesser degree than people whose begging experience is relatively short, the latter tendency is observed in all parameters of self-identification. The author suggests a new interpretation of regularities of group identification.