Does time reduce resistance to out‐group critics? An investigation of the persistence of the intergroup sensitivity effect over time

Abstract

Group-directed criticism typically arouses greater defensiveness when it stems from an out-group member as opposed to an in-group member (the intergroup sensitivity effect). In light of work on the sleeper effect, the current research examines whether this defensiveness persists over time. Students received criticism of their faculty area from either a member of the same faculty area (in-group condition), or a member of a different faculty area (out-group condition), or they received no criticism (control condition). Despite relatively poor recall of the content of the criticism, the intergroup sensitivity effect (ISE) found immediately after presentation of the criticism had not significantly decreased 3-4 weeks later. However, the heightened intergroup bias found immediately after the out-group criticism did dissipate with time. Implications of these results for those who wish to initiate social change as outsiders are discussed.

If You Criticize Us, Do It in Concrete Terms: Linguistic Abstraction as a Moderator of the Intergroup Sensitivity Effect

“…It also examined whether the effects of concrete and abstract out-group criticism spill over into attitudes toward the out-group as a whole (cf. Hiew & Hornsey, 2010). In line with Study 1, we expected that linguistic abstraction would affect responses to out-group criticism (out-group criticism hypothesis).…”

Shooting the messenger: Outsiders critical of your group are rejected regardless of argument quality

“…One consequence of this is that people agree with criticisms much less when the criticism comes from outside the group than when the same comments are made by an insider (Hiew & Hornsey, ; Hornsey & Imani, ; Rabinovich & Morton, ; Sutton, Elder, & Douglas, ), a phenomenon labelled the intergroup sensitivity effect (ISE, Hornsey, Oppes, & Svensson, ). This effect is mediated by perceptions of whether the critic has the best interests of the group at heart: Ingroup critics are accorded more constructive motives than outgroup critics, and this attributional bias mediates the ISE (Hornsey & Imani, ; but see Sutton, Douglas, Elder, & Tarrant, ; for a counterpoint).…”

Outgroup members’ internal criticism promotes intergroup openness: The role of perceived risk

“…Some deviants may be actively attempting to undermine a group's goals, whereas others may engage in deviance or express dissent as a means of improving the group or as an attempt to uphold moral principles with which they strongly identify. When deviance stems from more positive motivations, ingroup members can be quite tolerant of dissent (e.g., Hiew & Hornsey, ; Hornsey, Oppes, & Svensson, ). However, a key context in which deviance and dissent are unlikely to be tolerated is during intergroup conflict.…”