Imagining the perpetrator’s viewpoint raises guilt only in low identifiers

Evidence

Lower identification with one’s group implies that belonging to that group is not very important for one’s social identity, and will result in not perceiving oneself strongly as a member of the ingroup (Spears et al., 1997; Turner et al., 1987). As a consequence, lower identifiers may be more detached about actions of their group, accepting more easily the negative deeds it has done (Doosje et al., 1998). Therefore, taking the perspective of ingroup members who have harmed another group may even make the negative role of the ingroup more salient for lower identifiers, resulting in stronger feelings of collective guilt. For higher identified group members, immoral acts of the ingroup are more troubling, because being a member of that group is important for their social identity (Tajfel & Turner, 1986). They should, therefore, be motivated to adopt defensive strategies to uphold the ingroup’s image (Branscombe et al., 1999). — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 1061

Categorization

• recurring: this claim recurs 2 times within its source
• XREF: connects to: Guilt differences between high and low identifiers emerge only on ambiguous history — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 695; Adopting the perpetrator’s perspective reverses which identifiers feel most guilty — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 1065; Studies conflict on whether high identification predicts more or less guilt — Sonia Roccas and Yechiel Klar and Ido Liviatan, The Paradox of Group-Based Guilt: Modes…, 23 (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• Studies conflict on whether high identification predicts more or less guilt #complicates (0.85) — Sonia Roccas and Yechiel Klar and Ido Liviatan, The Paradox of Group-Based Guilt, 23
• Group identification can both enable and block feelings of group-based guilt #qualifies (0.75) — Sonia Roccas and Yechiel Klar and Ido Liviatan, The Paradox of Group-Based Guilt, 16
• Group identification can simultaneously raise and lower group-based guilt. #qualifies (0.72) — Sonia Roccas and Yechiel Klar and Ido Liviatan, The Paradox of Group-Based Guilt, 25
• Shared identity with the perpetrator is the critical precondition for moral disengagement #responds-to (0.70) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 2112