Intergroup Aggressors: When and Why Do They Acquire a Positive Reputation in the In-Group?

Abstract

It is necessary to understand the causal mechanism of aggressive behavior toward out-group members (out-group aggression) to prevent tragic intergroup conflicts. Recent research suggests that individuals sometimes engage in out-group aggression to maintain their reputation. However, it remains unclear how people actually evaluate those who engage in out-group aggression (intergroup aggressors). Across three experiments—a vignette-based study (Study 1) and two economic game studies (Studies 2, 3)—we examined how situational factors influence the reputation of intergroup aggressors. The results demonstrated that intergroup aggressors’ reputation improved under conflicting interests between groups. This effect was caused by the fact that intergroup aggressors in such situations benefit their in-group, rather than simply by harming the out-group. In addition, the perceived prosocial motivation of intergroup aggressors was shown to be an important determinant of their reputation. Our findings are consistent with the idea that reputation plays an important role in the emergence and escalation of intergroup conflict and provide important implications for intergroup conflict prevention.