People are for forgiving to in-group members for violating a norm
People are more likely to make amends for transgressions against Us than against Them. What about responses to other in-group members violating a norm? Most common is forgiving Us more readily than Them. This is often rationalized—we screw up because of special circumstances; They screw up because that’s how They are. Something interesting can happen when someone’s transgression constitutes airing the group’s dirty laundry that affirms a negative stereotype. The resulting in-group shame can provoke high levels of punishment as a signal to outsiders.
References
- Sapolsky, Robert. (2017). Behave Chapter 11. Us Versus Them (p. 448). New York, NY: Penguin Random House.
Metadata
Type:🔴 Tags: Psychology / Social Psychology / Sociology Status:☀️