Around the turn of the millennium, the social representation of minorities in Western societies shifted from marginalized deviants to victims of injustice, prompting calls for recognition and reparation. Drawing on the social identity tradition, we argue that this shift in representation gave rise to new identity needs, with victim groups seeking to restore their agentic identity and perpetrator groups their moral identity. We review two research trends that emerged from this shift in representation and its relationship to identity needs. The first trend focuses on group apologies, forgiveness, and corresponding gestures. We suggest that these gestures can promote reconciliation by satisfying group members' identity needs; we also acknowledge the limitations and critiques of using the apology-forgiveness cycle to promote intergroup reconciliation. The second trend concerns groups' engagement in competitive victimhood. We propose that this engagement stems from the same identity needs and discuss its consequences and strategies for reducing it. Finally, we outline future directions and practical takeaways and reflect on the changing zeitgeist.

Informed by the needs-based model of reconciliation, we hypothesized that members of perceived perpetrator groups would prefer more abstract representations of historical or present transgressions than members of perceived victim groups. Six lab experiments (total N = 2,363; preregistered) and one study that examined the language used in Twitter posts (1,496 tweets; preregistered) supported this hypothesis across different intergroup contexts: the Holocaust (Jews and Germans), the war in Ukraine (Ukrainian and Russian official news agencies), and the massacres in Kafr Qasim and Ma'ale Akrabim (Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel). This effect was topic-specific (Study 1), ruling out cultural differences as an alternative explanation. Random assignment of participants to a context in which their in-group was the perpetrator or victim strengthened causal inference (Jewish Israelis in Study 3). Moreover, the different representation preferences were associated with perceived perpetrator (victim) group members' need to restore their in-group's moral (agentic) identity (Studies 3 and 4), and affirming these identity dimensions reduced the discrepancy in the representation preferences of members of perceived victim and perpetrator group (Study 5). Yielding evidence for important downstream consequences, members of perceived perpetrator and victim groups were readier to reconcile with out-group members who shared (vs. did not share) their representation preferences (Study 6), which was associated with need satisfaction (Study 7). Practical implications are discussed pertaining to the representation of transgressions in real-life contexts such as history books, memorials, museums, or news reports. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

IntroductionPrevious lab experiments supported the needs-based model of reconciliation, which posits that discussing historical transgressions enhances the need for acceptance in groups perceived as perpetrators and empowerment in groups perceived as victims. Addressing these needs (e.g., through accepting or empowering messages from outgroup members) increases willingness to reconcile. This study tests this model in a real-world settings.MethodsStudy 1 examined 143 German and Israeli Jewish participants from youth exchange programs, measuring their feelings of acceptance/empowerment, program satisfaction, outgroup attitudes, and keeping in touch with outgroup members. Study 2 examined 293 Israeli Jews, manipulating the salience of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians in a pre-registered laboratory experiment and measuring responses to accepting versus empowering messages from Germans.ResultsAs expected, Study 1 (N =143) found Germans’ feelings of acceptance were linked to program satisfaction, positive outgroup attitudes, and keeping in touch. For Israeli Jews, feelings of empowerment were linked to satisfaction and positive attitudes, but keeping in touch was unexpectedly linked to acceptance. This unexpected effect maybe because keeping in touch is done mainly through social networks that focus on the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, often with a focus on Israel’s transgressions against Palestinians. Consistent with this explanation, Study 2 (N=293, pre-registered) showed that Israeli Jews viewed accepting messages from Germans as more conciliatory when presented with transgressions against Palestinians, and empowering messages as more effective when presented with reminders of historical victimization by Nazis.DiscussionThe findings from Study 1 partially support the needs-based model of reconciliation and additionally suggest that reconciliation needs vary with context. Implications for people-to-people peace-building interventions are discussed.

Objectification theory predicts that women's self-objectification should lead to sexual dysfunction, yet previous studies failed to provide consistent support for this prediction. The present research-which used two sufficiently powered samples and a self-objectification measurement (SOBBS) with improved psychometric qualities and content validity than previous measurements-found support for the expected association between self-objectification and sexual dysfunction among heterosexual women in Israel and the United States (N = 404 and 366, Mage = 30.59 and 36.93, respectively). We also examined two novel potential mediators of this association, entitlement for pleasure and sexual agency (i.e., the capability to express sexual desires and boundaries), and found that the latter mediated the link between self-objectification and sexual dysfunction. The mediators originally proposed by objectification theory (i.e. appearance anxiety, body shame, awareness of internal body states and flow) failed to mediate this link. Theoretical and methodological implications are discussed.

Dehumanization, the denial of human qualities to others, should theoretically be predicted by perceptions of agency and communion, the 'Big Two' dimensions coordinating social cognition. However, empirical tests of the relations between dehumanization and the Big Two yielded seemingly contradicting results. We argue that these results can be explained by considering (a) different measurements and conceptualizations used in the dehumanization literature, and (b) different social contexts in which it was studied. Specifically, we suggest that when the target group has a victim status in the conflict, or is relatively disadvantaged in society, it is dehumanized based on perceived low agency. When the target group has a perpetrator status or is relatively advantaged, it is dehumanized based on perceived low morality.

Introduction Activating people’s sense of attachment security can buffer against psychological threats. Here we tested whether security priming can also buffer the adverse effects of stereotype threat among women. Method Three studies (a pilot study ( N = 79 women, 72 men), a laboratory study; N = 474 women, and an online study; N = 827 women) compared security priming to neutral and positive affect priming. Results The pilot study revealed that women exposed to attachment security primes (e.g., the word “love”) had better math performance than women exposed to neutral primes (e.g., “boat”). Men’s math performance did not differ across priming conditions. Study 1 revealed that women showed better math performance in the attachment security priming condition than in the neutral or positive (e.g., “luck”) priming conditions. The effect was observed among women high on math identification. In Study 2, despite an effect of security priming on the manipulation check [higher State Adult Attachment Measure (SAAM) security score], security did not buffer stereotype threat effects. Discussion Our findings provide partial support to the idea that security priming (an interpersonal process) can buffer stereotype threat (an intergroup process). Theoretical and practical implications related to attachment security priming and stereotype threat are discussed.

Postprint and Figures for Shnabel, N., Ullrich, J., & Nadler, A. (2023). The Needs-based Model of Reconciliation: How Identity Restoration Processes Can Contribute to More Harmonious and Equal Social Relations. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 67.

We examined the association between intergroup contact and academic performance at university among minority students in a context with a segregated pre-university school system. Study 1 tested whether participation in a group dynamics course, which involves intimate interpersonal contact between Israeli Arab (n = 125) and Jewish students, was associated with better grade point average (GPA). As expected, Arab students who participated in the course had a higher GPA than those who did not, even when controlling for pre-university achievements. The corresponding difference among Jews was substantially smaller. Study 2 (N = 90), a longitudinal study, revealed that the quality of contact with Jewish students at university was associated with Arab students' subsequent higher GPA, even when controlling for pre-university contact, proxies of academic achievements, and perceptions of intergroup relations. The quality of contact with Jewish students was also associated with Arab students' sense of academic belonging. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

When people fight over physical things there are “hidden,” or deeper, reasons that they are fighting, as well. For example, siblings fighting over a toy might also be fighting about which child the parents love more. What do people need to make up—or reconcile—after a fight? According to one theory, people involved in a dispute need different emotional things: the victim (the one who was hurt) needs to feel empowered; that is, they need to feel that they are important, valuable, and in control; while the perpetrator (or wrongdoer) needs to feel accepted, good, and liked. If both sides can get what they need, there is a better chance that they will be willing to reconcile. These findings are significant for the field of restorative justice, which aims not only to punish the wrongdoers, but also to mend the relationship between perpetrators, victims, and their communities.

This preregistered research analyzed survey data from ethnic and religious advantaged groups in 12 countries (N = 2,304) to examine the interplay between two determinants of support for social change toward intergroup equality. Drawing on the needs-based model and the common-ingroup identity model, we hypothesized that the experience of accepting intergroup contact and the endorsement of a dual identity representation of intergroup relations would be associated with greater support for equality. Furthermore, integrating the logic of both models, we tested the novel hypothesis that the positive effect of accepting contact on support for equality would be stronger under a high (vs. low) dual identity representation. While the predicted main effects received empirical support, we found no evidence for the expected interaction. These findings suggest that interventions to foster support for social change among advantaged group members can promote accepting contact and a dual identity representation independently of each other.

Two studies examined perceptions referring to appearance comments presented as compliments. When taking the target's perspective (Study 1, n = 678), women perceived appearance comments, especially if sexualized (vs. non-sexualized) as less appropriate than men did. Women also believed that, as the targets of sexualized (vs. non-sexualized) comments, they were likely to be perceived as less warm (whereas men believed that they were likely to be perceived as more competent). When taking an observer perspective (Study 2, n = 398), participants perceived comments made at the workplace (vs. a non-work setting) as less appropriate. Women, but not men, also perceived sexualized comments as less appropriate than non-sexualized comments. Finally, both men and women perceived the target of sexualized (vs. non-sexualized) comments as less warm and competent. The results point to a gap between women's and men's perceptions of the appropriateness of appearance comments in general, and sexualized comments in particular, in both workplace and non-work settings. Moreover, women are more aware than men of the "penalty," in terms of social perceptions, imposed upon the targets of appearance comments. These results, which can inform sensitivity training to prevent sexual harassment, are especially important in workplace settings, where perceptions of warmth and competence affect how individuals are treated and promoted.

What role does intergroup contact play in promoting support for social change toward greater social equality? Drawing on the needs-based model of reconciliation, we theorized that when inequality between groups is perceived as illegitimate, disadvantaged group members will experience a need for empowerment and advantaged group members a need for acceptance. When intergroup contact satisfies each group's needs, it should result in more mutual support for social change. Using four sets of survey data collected through the Zurich Intergroup Project in 23 countries, we tested several preregistered predictions, derived from the above reasoning, across a large variety of operationalizations. Two studies of disadvantaged groups (Ns = 689 ethnic minority members in Study 1 and 3,382 sexual/gender minorities in Study 2) support the hypothesis that, after accounting for the effects of intergroup contact and perceived illegitimacy, satisfying the need for empowerment (but not acceptance) during contact is positively related to support for social change. Two studies with advantaged groups (Ns = 2,937 ethnic majority members in Study 3 and 4,203 cis-heterosexual individuals in Study 4) showed that, after accounting for illegitimacy and intergroup contact, satisfying the need for acceptance (but also empowerment) is positively related to support for social change. Overall, findings suggest that intergroup contact is compatible with efforts to promote social change when group-specific needs are met. Thus, to encourage support for social change among both disadvantaged and advantaged group members, it is essential that, besides promoting mutual acceptance, intergroup contact interventions also give voice to and empower members of disadvantaged groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

European Journal of Social PsychologyVolume 51, Issue 7 p. 1035-1037 EDITORIAL Thoroughly thought through? Experimenting with Registered Reports Roland Imhoff, Corresponding Author Roland Imhoff roland.imhoff@uni-mainz.de Social and Legal Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany Correspondence Roland Imhoff, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany. Email: roland.imhoff@uni-mainz.deSearch for more papers by this authorTheodore Alexopoulos, Theodore Alexopoulos Université de Bordeaux, Laboratoire de Psychologie (EA 4139), Bordeaux, FranceSearch for more papers by this authorAleksandra Cichocka, Aleksandra Cichocka University of Kent, Canterbury, UKSearch for more papers by this authorJuliane Degner, Juliane Degner Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorJohn Dixon, John Dixon The Open University, Milton Keynes, UKSearch for more papers by this authorMatthew J. Easterbrook, Matthew J. Easterbrook University of Sussex, Brighton, UKSearch for more papers by this authorKatharine H. Greenaway, Katharine H. Greenaway The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorP. J. Henry, P. J. Henry NYU Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesSearch for more papers by this authorTara Marshall, Tara Marshall McMaster University, Hamilton, CanadaSearch for more papers by this authorEsther K. Papies, Esther K. Papies University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UKSearch for more papers by this authorTobias Rothmund, Tobias Rothmund Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Jena, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorNurit Shnabel, Nurit Shnabel Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelSearch for more papers by this authorJoanne Smith, Joanne Smith University of Exeter, Exeter, UKSearch for more papers by this author Roland Imhoff, Corresponding Author Roland Imhoff roland.imhoff@uni-mainz.de Social and Legal Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany Correspondence Roland Imhoff, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany. Email: roland.imhoff@uni-mainz.deSearch for more papers by this authorTheodore Alexopoulos, Theodore Alexopoulos Université de Bordeaux, Laboratoire de Psychologie (EA 4139), Bordeaux, FranceSearch for more papers by this authorAleksandra Cichocka, Aleksandra Cichocka University of Kent, Canterbury, UKSearch for more papers by this authorJuliane Degner, Juliane Degner Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorJohn Dixon, John Dixon The Open University, Milton Keynes, UKSearch for more papers by this authorMatthew J. Easterbrook, Matthew J. Easterbrook University of Sussex, Brighton, UKSearch for more papers by this authorKatharine H. Greenaway, Katharine H. Greenaway The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorP. J. Henry, P. J. Henry NYU Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesSearch for more papers by this authorTara Marshall, Tara Marshall McMaster University, Hamilton, CanadaSearch for more papers by this authorEsther K. Papies, Esther K. Papies University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UKSearch for more papers by this authorTobias Rothmund, Tobias Rothmund Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Jena, GermanySearch for more papers by this authorNurit Shnabel, Nurit Shnabel Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelSearch for more papers by this authorJoanne Smith, Joanne Smith University of Exeter, Exeter, UKSearch for more papers by this author First published: 07 March 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2829Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume51, Issue7December 2021Pages 1035-1037 RelatedInformation

Five studies (N = 2,339) found that men and women, especially if high on benevolent sexism, engage in dependency-oriented cross-gender helping relations in domestic tasks. Study 1 revealed that, in response to hypothetical scenarios of cross-gender helping interactions in traditionally feminine domains (e.g., cooking a dish), men's benevolent sexism correlated with their intentions to seek dependency-oriented help (direct assistance, rather than tools for autonomous coping) from women, and women's benevolent sexism correlated with their intentions to provide dependency-oriented help to men. Study 2 revealed that the association between benevolent sexism and (a) men's intentions to seek, and (b) women's intentions to provide dependency-oriented help occurs in cross-gender, but not in same-gender, interactions. Studies 3 and 4 replicated these patterns while examining help-seeking (among men) and help-providing (among women) behavior in a test about common domestic tasks (e.g., how to clean a burned pot). Study 5 focused on heterosexual couples, revealing that when encountering difficulties in traditionally feminine domestic tasks (e.g., getting the kids ready for kindergarten): (a) men, especially if high on benevolent sexism, reported seeking more dependency-oriented help from their partners than women; (b) women, especially if high on benevolent sexism, reported providing more dependency-oriented help to their partners than men; and (c) engagement in dependency-oriented helping predicted an unequal division of household labor. We discuss these findings in light of previous theorizing and research on the social psychological barriers that reinforce men's relatively low involvement in the domestic sphere. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Tabea Hässler, Johannes Ullrich, Simone Sebben, Nurit Shnabel, Michelle Bernardino, Daniel Valdenegro, Colette Van Laar, Roberto González, Emilio Paolo Visintin, Linda R. Tropp, Ruth K. Ditlmann, Dominic Abrams, Anna Lisa Aydin, Adrienne Pereira, Hema Preya Selvanathan, Jorina von Zimmermann, Nóra Anna Lantos, Mario Sainz, Andreas Glenz, Anna Kende, Hana Oberpfalzerová, Michal Bilewicz, Marija Branković, Masi Noor, Michael H. Pasek, Stephen C. Wright, Iris Žeželj, Olga Kuzawinska, Edona Maloku, Sabine Otten, Pelin Gul, Orly Bareket, Dinka Corkalo Biruski, Luiza Mugnol-Ugarte, Evgeny Osin, Roberto Baiocco, Jonathan E. Cook, Maneeza Dawood, Lisa Droogendyk, Angélica Herrera Loyo, Margareta Jelić, Kaltrina Kelmendi, and Jessica Pistella Online First Publication, June 17, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000365

In this symposium, we highlight the double-edged nature of successes of those from underrepresented backgrounds. We suggest that it is crucial to examine the macro-level ramifications of more micro-level strategies. Without this understanding, it is possible that the promotion of strategies for individual successes can have broader negative consequences for race and gender inequality. In our first two presentations, we highlight how this relates to gender inequality, and in the second two, shift to examine how it relates to race, demonstrating the generalizability of this phenomenon to various forms of inequality. We thus emphasize that the path to a more equitable society will take more than attention to individual-level phenomena; managers and scholars alike must also be attuned to institutional-level consequences. Invoking Protective Paternalism Tempers Men’s Backlash Towards Female Accusers Presenter: Amelia Stillwell; U. of Utah The beauty myth: Prescriptive beauty norms for women reflect hierarchy-enhancing motivations Presenter: Leeat Ramati-Ziber; Tel-Aviv U. Presenter: Nurit Shnabel; Tel Aviv U. Presenter: Peter Glick; Lawrence U. Motivated Evaluations of White and Black Male Leaders’ Effectiveness Presenter: Vivian Xiao; Stanford U. Presenter: Brian Lowery; Stanford U. The Impact of a High-status Minority Member on Pursuing Diversity Goals Presenter: Julia D. Hur; New York U. Presenter: Jun Lin; New York U.

In the present research, we examined the association between heterosexual men’s motivation for dominance over women and their sexual objectification of women. We found that men’s social dominance orientation (SDO) correlated with their tendency to sexually objectify women (Study 1). Inducing threat to men’s dominance over women by assigning men to work under the supervision of women bosses—versus jointly with women partners (Study 2a) or under men bosses (Study 3)—led to increased sexual objectification of women among high-SDO participants. These results persisted when controlling for mood. Examining the corresponding effects among heterosexual women revealed that the correlation between SDO and the sexual objectification of men was non-significant (Study 1) and that working under men bosses did not affect women’s sexual objectification of men (Study 2b). These findings support feminist theorizing that men (re)assert their dominance over women by sexually objectifying them. Increased awareness of the motivations underlying women’s sexual objectification can help professionals plan useful interventions to reduce this phenomenon, hopefully limiting its negative effects on women’s well-being.

This commentary analyzes the democratization process triggered by the Polish Round Table Talks using the framework of the Needs-Based Model of Reconciliation, which conceptualizes reconciliation as a social exchange transaction in which perpetrators gain moral-social acceptance, whereas victims gain power. I argue that the talks allowed the restoration of communists’ moral-social identity, and Solidarity’s power and voice. I further argue that to complete such a transaction, both parties must believe that they would gain more through compromise than through violence. They must also overcome the “magnitude gap”; namely the systematic discrepancy between victims’ vs. perpetrators’ estimation of the severity or immorality of the same transgressions or social arrangements. Finally, as is the case for any exchange transaction, people may question its benefits. When doing so, however, they might take the non-violent nature of the transition to democracy for granted – due to “the hindsight bias.” Taking into account that the alternatives were probably worse may contribute to undermining conspiracy theories about “dirty dealings” between the parties, and commemorating the legacy of the Round Table Talks as an inspiring moment in history.

This chapter builds on the needs-based model of reconciliation, which posits victim groups’ primary need for agency and perpetrator groups’ primary need for morality, and examines dual conflicts in which groups are both victims and perpetrators. The authors posit that in such cases, the experience of victimization is more psychologically impactful than the experience of perpetration. They review empirical support for this “primacy of agency” effect, as well as evidence of the effects of interventions that affirm the group’s agency in such contexts. The findings show that agency affirmations increase conciliatory responses toward the other conflict party as well as the willingness to relinquish power and violence for the sake of morality. These effects were found across both higher and lower power groups in the conflicts that were examined.