Message content, group identification and the intergroup sensitivity effect: Responses to the message and recognition memory

Abstract

An intergroup sensitivity effect (ISE) is people's tendency to react more negatively to a criticism when it was made by an outgroup member than when the same criticism was made by an ingroup member. The present study investigated variation in ISE when the criticism was varied in terms of valence (absence of positive qualities or presence of negative qualities) and level of abstraction (traits or behaviours). Dependent measures were emotional reactions to the criticism, perceived constructiveness, ingroup bias, and recognition memory for the criticism. All participants showed an ISE to the negative abstract criticism. In addition, consistent with the social identity account of ISE, participants' levels of identification with their ingroup moderated the ISE in some of the measures.

Collective narcissism moderates the effect of in-group image threat on intergroup hostility.

“…These authors demonstrated that personal self esteem did not predict interpersonal aggression in response to ego threat when individual narcissism was taken into account. We argue that in the intergroup context it is the narcissistic rather than non narcissistic positive group esteem that moderates the effects of in group image threat on intergroup hostility (e.g., Branscombe & Wann, 1994;Tekman, et al, 2008).…”

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

“…Thus, there is evidence that it is possible to overcome the pervasive effect of critic group membership and counteract the intergroup sensitivity effect by varying the way in which the criticism is tailored at the communicative level. In this respect, to our knowledge in most studies (with the exception of Tekman, Hortaçsu, & Ok, 2008, as discussed below) the messages were formulated using adjectives or other abstract terms (e.g., “Australians are racist”; Hornsey et al, 2002). Given the implications of terms at different levels of abstraction (Semin, 2000), one might however expect that criticisms conveyed in more concrete terms would be perceived in a less negative fashion.…”

“…However, Assilaméhou and Testé (2013b) did not examine recipients’ inferences when they are faced with abstract versus concrete criticisms against their own group. To our knowledge, to date only one study has considered the role of linguistic abstraction in group criticism: Tekman et al (2008) examined the impact of critical statements about university students formulated by faculty members (out-group) or students (in-group) and referred to traits (with abstract terms; e.g., “Insensitive”) or to behaviors (that is, in more concrete terms; e.g., “Ignore problems of others”). However, findings were not clear-cut.…”

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

“…In line with this notion, it has been repeatedly demonstrated that out-group critics are evaluated less positively, arouse more negativity and are agreed with less than in-group critics who make exactly the same comments (Brander & Hornsey, 2006;Elder, Sutton, & Douglas, 2005;Hornsey, Frederiks, Smith, & Ford, 2007;Hornsey, Grice, Jetten, Paulsen, & Callan, 2007;Hornsey, Oppes, & Svensson, 2002;O'Dwyer, Berkowitz, & Alfeld-Johnson, 2002;See & Petty, 2006;Tekman, Hortacsu, & Ok, 2008), a phenomenon referred to as the ISE. Recent research has also demonstrated that receiving group-directed criticism from an out-group member arouses greater intergroup bias than receiving exactly the same criticism from an in-group member (Amiot & Hornsey, 2010).…”