Justice reactions to deviant ingroup members: Ingroup identity threat motivates utilitarian punishments.

ABSTRACT: To maintain a positive overall view of their group, people judge likeable ingroup members more favourably and deviant ingroup members more harshly than comparable outgroup members. Research suggests that such derogation of deviant ingroup members aims to restore the image of the group by symbolically excluding so-called 'black sheeps'. We hypothesized that information about a harm-doer's group membership influences observers' justice-seeking reactions. Motives for punishment vary based on whether the goal is to punish past harm-doing (i.e., retributive motives), help harm-doers recognize the harm inflicted and reintegrate into society (i.e., restorative motives), or control harm-doer's future behaviour through incapacitating practices and exclusion from society (i.e., utilitarian motives).

SUBMITTER: Fousiani K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6850106 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature