People proactively avoid information that could trigger collective guilt.

Evidence

In addition to considering the various antecedents of collective guilt, we should also consider the reasons why collective guilt may not occur (see Branscombe & Miron, 2004). Avoiding experiences or cognitions that might lead to feelings of guilt may circumvent feelings of collective guilt. Although empathy and guilt are two different responses, it is informative that research indicates people may act in ways that help them avoid feeling empathy. In one study, participants who were made aware that another person was in need and that helping that person would be costly were not likely to read an empathy-inducing vignette (Shaw, Batson, & Todd, 1994). These authors suggest that avoiding feelings of empathy for those in need may be used to avoid the accompanying motivation to help. It may be that individuals likewise avoid interactions or information that might lead them to feel collective guilt. — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 454

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Collective guilt could distract people from confronting personal guilt. — Janet K. Swim and Deborah L. Miller, White Guilt: Its Antecedents and…, 146; Rejecting whole-group accountability is a way people avoid collective guilt — Michael T. Schmitt, Daniel A. Miller, Nyla R. Branscombe, and Jack W. Brehm, The Difficulty of Making Reparations…, 17; People unconsciously avoid confronting evidence that contradicts their sense of safety — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 229 (+10 more)

Broader Connections

• Rejecting whole-group accountability is a way people avoid collective guilt #exemplifies (0.90) — Michael T. Schmitt, Daniel A. Miller, Nyla R. Branscombe, and Jack W. Brehm, The Difficulty of Making Reparations…, 17
• Group members legitimize their ingroup’s harmful actions to avoid guilt #exemplifies (0.90) — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 53
• Reminders of past victimization suppress a group’s collective guilt for its own current harmdoing. #exemplifies (0.85) — Johanna Ray Vollhardt and Michelle Sinayobye Twali, Emotion-Based Reconciliation Requires…, 44
• Perceiving a group’s wrongdoing as situationally justifiable blocks collective guilt #exemplifies (0.85) — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 297
• Gruesome evidence can backfire because people avoid thinking about it #exemplifies (0.82) — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 3221
• People delegate to proxy agents partly to avoid bearing moral responsibility for harmful acts. #exemplifies (0.80)
• Gruesome truths can backfire as persuasion because people avoid them #exemplifies (0.80) — Bob Altemeyer, The Authoritarian Specter, 3221
• Motivated reasoning makes people reject information threatening their values and beliefs. #expands (0.78) — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 89
• People unconsciously avoid confronting evidence that contradicts their sense of safety #expands (0.75) — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 229
• Willful ignorance is achieved by avoiding actions that would reveal unwanted knowledge #expands (0.75)
• Collective guilt could distract people from confronting personal guilt. #qualifies (0.72) — Janet K. Swim and Deborah L. Miller, White Guilt, 146
• People preferentially seek confirming evidence and avoid testing their own hypotheses. #expands (0.72) — Lee McIntyre, Post-Truth, 93
• People often resist or reverse belief updating rather than tracking evidence #expands (0.72) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 104