The judgment of in-group aggression depending on the national identification

Zsolt Péter Szabó, Noémi Mészáros & János László

Department of Social Psychology
University of Pécs SROP-4.2.2./B-10/1-2010-0029
Supporting Scientific Training of Talented
Youth at the University of Pécs

Introduction
The main question of our study: how do group members deal
with the in-group’s perpetrator status?
-Independent variable: identification with the national in-group
-Dependent variable: group-based phenomena (group-based
emotions, exonerating cognitions, compensation of out-group).
According to the identification/guilt paradox, when the in-
group is the perpetrator, highly identified group members
- on the one hand are more prone to experience group-based guilt,
- but on the other hand they are more motivated to defend the
group’s positive identity, which leads to more explicit and implicit
exoneration of the in-group (and decreased guilt). (see Figure 1.)
Group-based guilt
High identification
with the in-group
Exonerating cognitions
Study
Subjects (N=93) received a small booklet, which contained:
- the national identification questionnaire,
- one of two stories both with negative outcomes when the in-
group was the perpetrator against the members of the out-group
(Slovakian, Croatian).
- 12 statements regarding group-based emotions, exonerating
cognitions, compensation of out-groups, which they had to assess
on a 7-point scale.
Results
As the results show (see Fig.3.)
- Attachment has positive correlation with the acceptance of
responsibility (r=.231, p<.05) and compensation of out-group
(r=.184, p=.08) (both in Croatian story).
- Glorification is negatively correlated to the acceptance of
responsibility (Croatian: r=-.285, Slovakian story: r=-.243, both
p<.05), and the rejection of exonerating cognitions (Slovakian story:
r=-.206)

0,3 Accept the responsibility

Figure 1. When the in-group is the perpetrator –
The identification/guilt paradox 0,2
Compensation of the
out-group
Background 0,1
Correlation

Based on Roccas, Klar & Liviatan’s (2006) bi-dimensional 0 Recejt the exonerating
cognitions
model of in-group identification, we have developed the Hungarian
national identification questionnaire (Szabó et al., in press), which -0,1
Negative group-based
separates two modes of identification: emotions (Slovakian
-0,2 story)
- Attachment: emotional bond to the nation
Mixed factor (Croatian
- Glorification: intergroup comparison, in-group superiority (Fig.2.) -0,3 story)
Attachment Glorification Attachment Glorification
This model may solve the identification/guilt paradox. Slovakian story Croatian story

Figure 3. Acceptance of responsibility, compensation of out-group,

exonerating cognitions and group-based emotions depending on the type of
Attachment identification
(emotional bond to
the nation)
National
identification Conclusion
Glorification
(the ingroup is In case of in-group aggression, the two modes of identification
superior to others) (i.e. attachment, glorification) has different relationship to
acceptance of responsibility, exonerating cognitions and
Figure 2. The two modes of national identification compensation of out-groups.

Hypothesis References
Roccas, S., Klar, Y.,&Liviatan,I. (2006) The paradox of group-based guilt:
Based on Roccas et al. (2006) results we hypothesized that in
modes of national identification, conflict vehemence, and reactions to the
case of in-group aggression: in-group’s moral violations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
- People with higher attachment: accept the responsibility, 91 (4): 698-711.
experience group-based guilt Szabó Zs.P., László J. (in press): A nemzettel való azonosulás magyar kérdőíve
[Identification with the national in-group: a hungarian questionnaire]
- People with higher glorification scores: reject the responsibility,
use exonerating cognitions.