Affirmation, Acknowledgment of In-Group Responsibility, Group-Based Guilt, and Support for Reparative Measures

Sabina Čehajić-Clancy*, Daniel A. Effron, Eran Halperin, Varda Liberman, Lee D. Ross

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

152 Scopus citations

Abstract

Three studies, 2 conducted in Israel and 1 conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, demonstrated that affirming a positive aspect of the self can increase one's willingness to acknowledge in-group responsibility for wrongdoing against others, express feelings of group-based guilt, and consequently provide greater support for reparation policies. By contrast, affirming one's group, although similarly boosting feelings of pride, failed to increase willingness to acknowledge and redress in-group wrongdoing. Studies 2 and 3 demonstrated the mediating role of group-based guilt. That is, increased acknowledgment of in-group responsibility for out-group victimization produced increased feelings of guilt, which in turn increased support for reparation policies to the victimized group. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)256-270
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Personality and Social Psychology
Volume101
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Acknowledgment of in-group responsibility
  • Group-based guilt
  • Reparations
  • Self-affirmation

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Affirmation, Acknowledgment of In-Group Responsibility, Group-Based Guilt, and Support for Reparative Measures'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this