Gone but not Forgotten: Loyalty and Betrayal among Ex-Members of Small Groups

Abstract

Laboratory groups were formed, given an engaging task to perform, and then dissolved into new, smaller groups. Each of those groups produced an art poster. Every poster was then evaluated, first by the group itself and then by another group whose members came from the same source group (ingroup exchange) or from a different source group (outgroup exchange). Posters were evaluated more generously when ingroup rather than outgroup exchanges were made, especially when identification with the source group was strong. Every group later received the same negative evaluation of its poster, apparently from its exchange partner. This (bogus) criticism was more upsetting when ingroup rather than outgroup exchanges were made, especially when identification with the source group was strong. These findings were discussed and several ideas for future studies of loyalty and betrayal were offered.

Customer betrayal and retaliation: when your best customers become your worst enemies

“…This situation could also have negative effects on the self-perceptions of high relationship quality customers. Findings in social psychology support the existence of this effect whereby individuals become more upset when they receive criticism from a group with which they feel a strong sense of cohesion (Moreland and McMinn 1999), or if they had a close relationship with the transgressor (McCullough et al 1998). Formally, we suggest:…”

How groups react to disloyalty in the context of intergroup competition: Evaluations of group deserters and defectors

“…Tajfel & Turner, 1986). Previous research suggests that individuals value loyalty in ephemeral laboratory groups (Moreland & McMinn, 2009). However, no research to date has investigated individuals' reaction to defection under minimal conditions.…”

“…A group may adopt either more lenient or stringent criteria to incorporate newcomers (cf. Moreland & McMinn, 2009). In addition, deserters and defectors may impact differently on individuals' and groups' need for optimal distinctiveness (Brewer & Silver, 2000).…”

‘You can criticize because you care’: identity attachment, constructiveness, and the intergroup sensitivity effect

“…Moreland and McMinn (1999), for example, found that standard criticisms of a small group's performance in designing a poster aroused stronger feelings of distress and rejection when they were made by an ex-ingroup member then when they were made by an outgroup member. Moreland and McMinn argued that criticism stemming from somebody who was once a member of the group carries with it feelings of betrayal that lend an extra emotional resonance to the exchange.…”

“…Hornsey and colleagues (Hornsey et al, 2002;Hornsey & Imani, 2004) also examined how the group membership of a critic affects how criticisms are received, but their research differed from Moreland and McMinn (1999) in two important ways. First, the criticisms stemmed from either an outgroup member or a current ingroup member (rather than somebody who was once part of the group but has left).…”