Preferences and beliefs in intergroup conflict
Research output: Other contribution › Research
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Preferences and beliefs in intergroup conflict. / Columbus, Simon; Thielmann, Isabel; Zettler, Ingo; Böhm, Robert.
2021Pre-print.Research output: Other contribution › Research
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TY - GEN
T1 - Preferences and beliefs in intergroup conflict
AU - Columbus, Simon
AU - Thielmann, Isabel
AU - Zettler, Ingo
AU - Böhm, Robert
PY - 2021/8/18
Y1 - 2021/8/18
N2 - To solve the puzzle of individual participation in intergroup conflict, theoreticalaccounts rooted in various disciplines suggest that individuals’ interconnected social preferences for the welfare of in-group and out-group members predict their conflict engagement. Yet, research also suggests that individuals may reciprocate anticipated and actual harmful behaviour from out-group members or beneficial behaviour from in-group members. We combined these different approaches and tested the relative importance of preferences and beliefs in predicting conflict participation. To this end, we elicited both preferences towards in-group and out-group members and beliefs aboutin-group and out-group members’ behaviours prior to playing an incentivised intergroup conflict game with natural groups (N = 973). In this game, individuals could engage in costly behaviour to either benefit their in-group (without consequences to the out-group) or to both benefit their in-group and harm the out-group. Both preferences and beliefs contributed to explaining in-group beneficial and out-group harming behaviour. Importantly, however, beliefs were more strongly associated with behaviour than group-based preferences. Moreover, we found that negative reciprocity towardsout-group members was stronger when the out-group was expected to actually harm the in-group rather than to merely harbour ill intentions. Taken together, the findings suggest that participation in intergroup conflict is better explained by positive and negative reciprocity than purely by group-based preferences.
AB - To solve the puzzle of individual participation in intergroup conflict, theoreticalaccounts rooted in various disciplines suggest that individuals’ interconnected social preferences for the welfare of in-group and out-group members predict their conflict engagement. Yet, research also suggests that individuals may reciprocate anticipated and actual harmful behaviour from out-group members or beneficial behaviour from in-group members. We combined these different approaches and tested the relative importance of preferences and beliefs in predicting conflict participation. To this end, we elicited both preferences towards in-group and out-group members and beliefs aboutin-group and out-group members’ behaviours prior to playing an incentivised intergroup conflict game with natural groups (N = 973). In this game, individuals could engage in costly behaviour to either benefit their in-group (without consequences to the out-group) or to both benefit their in-group and harm the out-group. Both preferences and beliefs contributed to explaining in-group beneficial and out-group harming behaviour. Importantly, however, beliefs were more strongly associated with behaviour than group-based preferences. Moreover, we found that negative reciprocity towardsout-group members was stronger when the out-group was expected to actually harm the in-group rather than to merely harbour ill intentions. Taken together, the findings suggest that participation in intergroup conflict is better explained by positive and negative reciprocity than purely by group-based preferences.
KW - Faculty of Social Sciences
KW - Intergroup conflict
KW - IPD-MD
KW - Parochial altruism
KW - Reciprocity
KW - Social preferences
U2 - 10.31234/osf.io/ghvty
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/ghvty
M3 - Other contribution
ER -
ID: 290030873