TY - JOUR
T1 - The effects of moral/social identity threats and affirmations on psychological defensiveness following wrongdoing
AU - Wenzel, Michael
AU - Woodyatt, Lydia
AU - McLean, Ben
PY - 2020/10/1
Y1 - 2020/10/1
N2 - Defensive responses to transgressions can have a negative impact on decision-making within government and organizations, on relationships, and even an individual’s well-being. Transgressors who are defensive are less likely to acknowledge or appreciate the extent of harm caused, and their responsibility in having contributed to it or in helping to repair it. It is therefore important to understand what situational factors increase or reduce defensiveness and, thus, offer solutions for those trying to foster responsibility-taking by individuals in relationships, organizations, and society. This paper presents two studies exploring what underpins defensive responses in the context of transgressions. In Study 1 (N = 202), participants recalled an interpersonal transgression, and in Study 2 (N = 143), omnivorous participants watched a guilt-eliciting documentary about meat production practices. Both studies demonstrate that defensiveness increases in response to social/moral threat. Further, Study 2 demonstrates that this defensiveness can be reduced by addressing the underlying threat to social/moral identity via value affirmation, encouraging moral engagement, and repair.
AB - Defensive responses to transgressions can have a negative impact on decision-making within government and organizations, on relationships, and even an individual’s well-being. Transgressors who are defensive are less likely to acknowledge or appreciate the extent of harm caused, and their responsibility in having contributed to it or in helping to repair it. It is therefore important to understand what situational factors increase or reduce defensiveness and, thus, offer solutions for those trying to foster responsibility-taking by individuals in relationships, organizations, and society. This paper presents two studies exploring what underpins defensive responses in the context of transgressions. In Study 1 (N = 202), participants recalled an interpersonal transgression, and in Study 2 (N = 143), omnivorous participants watched a guilt-eliciting documentary about meat production practices. Both studies demonstrate that defensiveness increases in response to social/moral threat. Further, Study 2 demonstrates that this defensiveness can be reduced by addressing the underlying threat to social/moral identity via value affirmation, encouraging moral engagement, and repair.
KW - defensiveness
KW - guilt
KW - moral disengagement
KW - reconciliation
KW - responsibility taking
KW - value affirmation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85082930394&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP0877309
U2 - 10.1111/bjso.12378
DO - 10.1111/bjso.12378
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85082930394
SN - 0144-6665
VL - 59
SP - 1062
EP - 1081
JO - British Journal of Social Psychology
JF - British Journal of Social Psychology
IS - 4
ER -