TY - JOUR

T1 - Agentic and communal interaction goals in conflictual intergroup relations

AU - Aydin, Anna Lisa

AU - Ullrich, Johannes

AU - Siem, Birte

AU - Locke, Kenneth D.

AU - Shnabel, Nurit

N1 - This research received funding from the German Israeli Foundation (Grant No.: 1119-126.412010) and was supported by a grant from the German Research Foundation awarded to Jenny Roth for a scientific network (Grant No.: RO 4826/1-1).

PY - 2019/2/8

Y1 - 2019/2/8

N2 - Members of conflicting groups experience threats to different identity dimensions, resulting in the need to restore the aspect of identity that was threatened. Do these needs translate into specific goals in social interactions? In the present research, we examined the hypotheses that (1) experiencing one’s ingroup as illegitimately disadvantaged or victimized arouses agentic goals (to act and appear assertive and confident) when interacting with the advantaged or victimizing group, while (2) experiencing one’s ingroup as illegitimately advantaged or perpetrating transgressions arouses communal goals (to act and appear warm and trustworthy) when interacting with the disadvantaged or victimized group. Study 1 (N = 391) generally supported both hypotheses across diverse intergroup contexts involving gender, national/ethnic, and consumer identities. Study 2 (N = 122) replicated this pattern in a context of occupational identities. Study 2 further showed that the effect of ingroup role on agentic and communal intergroup goals was not moderated by participants’ general dispositional preferences for agentic and communal goals in interpersonal interactions, thus demonstrating how ingroup role exerts a distinct and robust influence on goals for interactions with other groups. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

AB - Members of conflicting groups experience threats to different identity dimensions, resulting in the need to restore the aspect of identity that was threatened. Do these needs translate into specific goals in social interactions? In the present research, we examined the hypotheses that (1) experiencing one’s ingroup as illegitimately disadvantaged or victimized arouses agentic goals (to act and appear assertive and confident) when interacting with the advantaged or victimizing group, while (2) experiencing one’s ingroup as illegitimately advantaged or perpetrating transgressions arouses communal goals (to act and appear warm and trustworthy) when interacting with the disadvantaged or victimized group. Study 1 (N = 391) generally supported both hypotheses across diverse intergroup contexts involving gender, national/ethnic, and consumer identities. Study 2 (N = 122) replicated this pattern in a context of occupational identities. Study 2 further showed that the effect of ingroup role on agentic and communal intergroup goals was not moderated by participants’ general dispositional preferences for agentic and communal goals in interpersonal interactions, thus demonstrating how ingroup role exerts a distinct and robust influence on goals for interactions with other groups. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

KW - Agency

KW - Communion

KW - Interaction goals

KW - Intergroup conflict

KW - Needs-based model

KW - Social Work and Social Pedagogics

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85065197013&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.5964/jspp.v7i1.746

DO - 10.5964/jspp.v7i1.746

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85065197013

VL - 7

SP - 144

EP - 171

JO - Journal of Social and Political Psychology

JF - Journal of Social and Political Psychology

SN - 2195-3325

IS - 1

ER -