Intergroup Revenge: A Laboratory Experiment on the Causes

80 Pages Posted: 7 Jun 2013

See all articles by David Hugh-Jones

David Hugh-Jones

University of East Anglia (UEA)

Martin Leroch

University of Hamburg

Date Written: June 6, 2013

Abstract

Field studies of conflict report cycles of mutual revenge between groups, often linked to perceptions of intergroup injustice. We test the hypothesis that people are predisposed to reciprocate against groups. In a laboratory experiment, subjects who were harmed by a partner’s uncooperative action reacted by harming other members of the partner’s group. This group reciprocity was only observed when one group was seen as unfairly advantaged. Our results support a behavioral mechanism leading from perceived injustice to intergroup conflict. We discuss the relevance of group reciprocity to economic and political phenomena including conflict, discrimination and team competition.

Keywords: groups, reciprocity, revenge, experiment, conflict

JEL Classification: D03, D74

Suggested Citation

Hugh-Jones, David and Leroch, Martin, Intergroup Revenge: A Laboratory Experiment on the Causes (June 6, 2013). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2275173 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2275173

David Hugh-Jones (Contact Author)

University of East Anglia (UEA) ( email )

Norwich Research Park
Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ
United Kingdom

Martin Leroch

University of Hamburg ( email )

Allende-Platz 1
Hamburg, 20146
Germany

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