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Shame expressions reduce the recipient's insult from outgroup reparations

Giner-Sorolla, Roger, Castano, Emanuele, Espinosa, Pablo, Brown, Rupert (2008) Shame expressions reduce the recipient's insult from outgroup reparations. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 44 (3). pp. 519-526. ISSN 0022-1031. (doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2007.08.003) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:4290)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2007.08.003

Abstract

Despite a growing literature on the consequences of group-based guilt and shame, little work has examined how expressions of self-conscious emotions are received by targets of collective wrongdoing. Two experiments tested the hypothesis that when an outgroup member offers apologies accompanied by reparations, the recipients are likely to take insult unless the outgroup member expresses the self-abasing emotion of shame rather than guilt. Experiment I showed that when reparations were offered, participants were less insulted by shame than guilt expressed by an outgroup member, rather than an ingroup member. Experiment 2 improved Experiment I by manipulating the culprit's action (reparation vs. withdrawal), and this experiment replicated Experiment 1's interaction on a measure of insult, but only when reparations were offered. These interactions on insult were not explained by the emotion's perceived intensity or surprisingness. Our results indicate a possible functional aspect of expressions of shame in an intergroup context. Self-abasement, as opposed to a mere admission of culpability and regret, can reduce the insult taken from an outgroup's reparations.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.jesp.2007.08.003
Uncontrolled keywords: intergroup emotions; guilt; shame; apology
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Roger Giner-Sorolla
Date Deposited: 04 Mar 2009 10:53 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 09:42 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/4290 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Giner-Sorolla, Roger.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6690-8842
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