Does remembering past ingroup harmdoing promote postwar cross‐group contact? Insights from a field‐experiment in Liberia

Abstract

In the aftermath of the Liberian civil wars, we investigated whether it is possible to systematically influence how people construe their group's role during the conflict and how this affects intergroup emotions and behavioral intentions. In a field experiment, 146 participants were randomly assigned to think about incidents of violence during the war that were either committed by fellow ingroup members (perpetrator‐focus) or against fellow ingroup members (victim‐focus). Adopting a perpetrator‐focus led to greater willingness to engage in cross‐group contact, greater need for acceptance, and greater intergroup empathy. The focus manipulation did not affect participants' need for empowerment. Key message: Appraising the ingroup as “victim” or “perpetrator” after conflicts with reciprocal harmdoing is largely a matter of psychological construction. A promising avenue for promoting positive cross‐group contact consists in widening the ingroup's victim role by also remembering the harm that the ingroup inflicted upon others. This amplifies the need of acceptance, which leads to greater intergroup empathy and greater willingness to engage in cross‐group contact. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

(Not) Thinking about you: Differences in victims’ and perpetrators’ self‐focus after interpersonal and intergroup transgressions

“…Results from these studies convergingly confirmed the differing needs structure in victims (or members of victimized groups) and perpetrators (or members of perpetrating groups) and how messages of acceptance and empowerment are facilitating reconciliation if they fit the needs of the recipient (group) (for an overview, see Shnabel & Nadler, 2015). Mazziotta et al (2014) have linked the different socio-emotional needs to potential differences in focus between perpetrators and victims. They proposed that victims' need for empowerment might direct their focus of attention towards the suffering of the ingroup and its primary goals.…”

“…Based on the NBMR (Shnabel & Nadler, 2008) the present research tested the hypothesis that, following a transgression, victims and perpetrators differ in their focus of attention such that victims show a stronger self-focus than perpetrators (see also Mazziotta et al, 2014). To our knowledge, this assumption has received only indirect empirical support in previous research (e.g., in research on social rejection, e.g., Twenge et al, 2003;or entitlement, e.g., Chaitin & Steinberg, 2008).…”

“…Specifically, victims have been violated in their social identity as powerful agents who are in full control of their environment, which leaves them with a need for empowerment, for reclaiming control. Mazziotta et al (2014) have linked the different socio-emotional needs to potential differences in focus between perpetrators and victims. The NBMR claims that both parties' need satisfaction is possible by engaging in a bilateral strategy in which perpetrators empower victims by apologizing and asking for their forgiveness while victims try to empathize and accept the perpetrators as fellow human beings.…”

“…In this article, we will turn to one such psychological obstacle on the road to reconciliation that has not received much attention in work on conflict and reconciliation so far (for an exception, see Mazziotta, Feuchte, Gausel, & Nadler, 2014): selffocus. For instance, only one side might be willing to reconcile and reassume a positive and harmonious relationship while the other side might not be as ready as it is hindered from going forward by lingering threats and unresolved issues.…”

“…For instance, only one side might be willing to reconcile and reassume a positive and harmonious relationship while the other side might not be as ready as it is hindered from going forward by lingering threats and unresolved issues. In this article, we will turn to one such psychological obstacle on the road to reconciliation that has not received much attention in work on conflict and reconciliation so far (for an exception, see Mazziotta, Feuchte, Gausel, & Nadler, 2014): selffocus. Defined as a situationally salient strong attention to self-targeted cognitions and internal feelings (e.g., Hess & Pickett, 2010), self-focus is potentially decreasing willingness to reconcile.…”