The Harmful Side of Thanks: Thankful Responses to High-Power Group Help Undermine Low-Power Groups’ Protest

Abstract

Giving thanks has multiple psychological benefits. However, within intergroup contexts, thankful responses from low-power to high-power group members could solidify the power hierarchy. The other-oriented nature of grateful expressions could mask power differences and discourage low-power group members from advocating for their ingroup interests. In five studies ( N = 825), we examine the novel idea of a potentially harmful side of “thanks,” using correlational and experimental designs and a follow-up. Across different contexts, expressing thanks to a high-power group member who transgressed and then helped undermined low-power group members’ protest intentions and actual protest. Thus, the expression of thanks can pacify members of low-power groups. We offer insights into the underlying process by showing that forgiveness of the high-power benefactor and system justification mediate this effect. Our findings provide evidence for a problematic side of gratitude within intergroup relations. We discuss social implications.

Display rules differ between positive emotions: Not all that feels good, looks good

“…The pattern of results from Study 1 was mostly replicated in Studies 2 and 3 with Dutch and German speaking samples. Relatively strong display rules emerged for sensory pleasure, feeling moved, and triumph, while weaker display rules were found for amusement, interest, and gratitude (but not in Germany: see Ksenofontov & Becker, 2020). The influence of context was robust across our samples: display rules were stronger when in public than in private, and when in the in the company of distant others as compared to close others.…”

The Effect of State Gratitude on Cognitive Flexibility: A Within-Subject Experimental Approach

“…For instance, a study conducted by Ng et al [63] found that participants induced to be in a grateful state were more likely to privately conform to a popular choice despite it being fundamentally incorrect. Another recent study by Ksenofontov and Becker [64] reported that expressing gratitude to high-power groups that had committed an offence resulted in less protest behaviors in low-power groups. Although gratitude has been consistently linked with socioemotional and health benefits [20,23,65], the current study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that the practice of gratitude may not always be advantageous, especially in the domain of cognitive flexibility.…”

Social psychological perspectives on American unrest: A tool for educators and trainers.

“…We are partial to a recent review written by Jost (2019) that commemorates 25 years of SJT by summarizing the theory's history, major tenets, supporting evidence, and applications, among other topics. Although the Jost article alone could sustain discussion for an entire class period, we also recommend Ksenofontov and Becker's (2020)…”

“…We are partial to a recent review written by Jost (2019) that commemorates 25 years of SJT by summarizing the theory’s history, major tenets, supporting evidence, and applications, among other topics. Although the Jost article alone could sustain discussion for an entire class period, we also recommend Ksenofontov and Becker’s (2020) article on The Harmful Side of Thanks , which shows that expressing thankfulness to high-power group members can increase system justification, thereby decreasing the protest intentions and actual protest behavior of low-power group members. It is too soon to conclude that gratitude reinforces social inequality by pacifying would-be protestors; however, educators could invite students to consider the potential implications of such a conclusion.…”