Intergroup Revenge: A Laboratory Experiment on the Causes
80 Pages Posted: 7 Jun 2013
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: Suggested Citation