Intergroup reconciliation: effects of adversary's expressions of empathy, responsibility, and recipients' trust

Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
Arie Nadler, Ido Liviatan

Abstract

The present study explores the effects of expressions of empathy for the ingroup's conflict-related suffering and assumed responsibility for causing it by a representative of the rival outgroup on recipient's willingness for reconciliation. It is suggested that such positive expressions by an adversary will have positive effects on reconciliation only in the presence of a basic level of trust in the outgroup. In two studies, Israeli-Jewish participants were exposed to a Palestinian leader who either expressed or did not express empathy and/or Palestinian responsibility for Israelis' suffering. After reading the speech, participants completed a questionnaire that measured their attitudes toward reconciliation with Palestinians. Results of both studies show that whereas expression of empathy led to more positive attitudes when trust was high, it tended to have adverse effects when trust was low. Similar effects were not found for assumed responsibility. Implications for research on intergroup conflict and reconciliation are discussed.

References

Dec 7, 1990·Science·R L DoritW Gilbert
Dec 1, 1989·The British Journal of Social Psychology·B W Darby, B R Schlenker
Dec 1, 1967·Journal of Personality·J B Rotter
Mar 1, 1994·Psychological Bulletin·R F BaumeisterT F Heatherton
May 1, 1996·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·D CohenN Schwarz
Oct 1, 1996·Psychological Review·C R BrewinS Joseph
Apr 19, 2002·The Psychoanalytic Quarterly·Salman Akhtar

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Apr 12, 2011·The Journal of Social Psychology·Jeroen VaesChiara Magagnotti
Dec 6, 2012·The Behavioral and Brain Sciences·Michael E McCulloughBenjamin A Tabak
May 7, 2016·Psychological Reports·Jacques Fischer-LokouAlexandre Dubarry
Mar 15, 2008·Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin·Catherine R Philpot, Matthew J Hornsey
May 27, 2017·The British Journal of Social Psychology·Magdalena BobowikMarcela Muratori
Mar 31, 2012·Personality and Social Psychology Review : an Official Journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc·Masi NoorArie Nadler
Mar 15, 2015·Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin·Michael J A WohlMatthew J Hornsey
Sep 17, 2009·Personality and Social Psychology Review : an Official Journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc·Emma F ThomasKenneth I Mavor
Jul 27, 2017·PloS One·Emile Bruneau, Nour Kteily
Jun 21, 2018·The British Journal of Social Psychology·Ali MashuriMark van Vugt
Feb 22, 2012·Psychological Injury and Law·Liesbeth Hulst, Arno J Akkermans
Feb 7, 2019·Frontiers in Psychology·Zhanna BagdasarovJames F Johnson
Apr 11, 2020·Social Neuroscience·Dorottya LantosPascal Molenberghs
Nov 19, 2017·The British Journal of Social Psychology·Melissa McDonaldTamar Saguy
Sep 15, 2017·Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin·Michael WenzelAnne-Marie Coughlin

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
Tania TamEd Cairns
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
Emile G BruneauRebecca Saxe
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved