Collective victimhood and conflict-related attitudes: A meta-analysis

Abstract

This study presents the first pre-registered meta-analysis of the impact of collective victimhood on conflict-related outcomes. Examining 1514 estimates from 139 studies, we assess the impact of victimhood on four conflict-related attitudes (hawkishness, attitudes towards current or former adversaries (reconciliation), attitudes towards groups with which one is not in direct conflict (outgroup exclusion), and in-group attachment) and on conflict-related emotions and cognitive perspectives. We find that collective victimhood is associated with greater conflict-enhancing attitudes, distancing emotions and distancing perspectives, though "inclusive" victimhood generally has opposing effects. These results are consistent across a wide range of geographic contexts, types of victimhood experiences, and identities. Methodologically, we identify consistent differences in the effect sizes found by observational and experimental studies and address the potential presence of publication bias in this field.