Collective guilt mediates perception of past wrongdoing and later apology support

Evidence

Research by Humphreys (2001) using a student sample in the Australian Capital Territory provides similarly strong support for the core model. In this study, collective guilt was again a strong mediator of the relationship between the desire to reconcile with the past and apology, and a partial mediator of the relationship between the perceived harshness of treatment of the Indigenous population and apology. Interestingly, the level of collective guilt and the extent to which the harm done had gone unrepaired were unaffected by a manipulation of comparative context. Regardless of whether Australian participants were presented with an upward or a downward comparison example concerning efforts to rectify the past harm, the core model of relationships remained the same. — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 822

McGarty et al. (2002, Study 2) explicitly tested the full core model in a sample of students and their acquaintances in the Australian Capital Territory. Perceived harsh treatment of the Indigenous population in the nineteenth century and the perception that non-Indigenous Australians were responsible for that harsh treatment were excellent predictors of collective guilt. Further, collective guilt was an excellent predictor of support for an apology. Given that all conditions for mediation held, the results suggest that the effects of perceived harshness and responsibility for the wrongdoing on willingness to apologize were at least partially mediated by collective guilt. This study provides good support for the core model. — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 819

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 822; Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 819
• XREF: connects to: Widely shared collective guilt has produced formal apologies and reparations — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 54; Collective guilt correlates strongly with perceived reparation obligations toward Indigenous Australians — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 818; Collective guilt follows unrepentant perceived wrongdoing and motivates repair — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 817 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• People supporting apology often deny collective guilt and responsibility #complicates (0.78) — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 1677
• Collective guilt and collective shame are distinct reactions with different appraisal triggers #qualifies (0.72) — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 322