[Title]
Intergroup retaliation and intragroup praise gain:
the effect of expected cooperation from the ingroup on intergroup
vicarious retribution
[Abstruct]
Intergroup vicarious retribution is the phenomenon whereby, after an
outgroup member attacks an ingroup member, a member of the victim’s
group retaliates against a member of the perpetrator’s group. This study
examined the effect of expected cooperation from the ingroup on
intergroup vicarious retribution through intragroup reputation based on
praise gain and exclusion avoidance. In the experiment, we conducted a
one-on-one match in the situation which after participants were informed
that an outgroup member as winner had imposed a fine on an ingroup
member as loser in a previous round, participants as winner was allowed
to impose an arbitrary fine on the other outgroup member as loser. As
predicted, participants imposed a larger fine on their outgroup member
opponent as retaliation when they were expected to cooperate by ingroup
members than when such cooperation was not expected. Furthermore,
participants regarded a fine as intragroup cooperation. Path analysis
revealed a mediating effect of praise gain but no mediating effect of
exclusion avoidance. Therefore, expected cooperation from ingroup
members facilitated vicarious retribution because those involved in such
retribution sought praise from other ingroup members. Findings suggest
that intergroup conflict is escalated by intragroup reputation dynamics
of expected cooperation and praise gain.
[Table and Figure]
[Keywords]
intergroup vicarious retribution, intergroup conflict, intergroup
relations, reputation, revenge, retaliation