Personalization and differentiation as moderators of triggered displaced aggression towards out‐group targets

Abstract

Two studies examined the reduction of triggered displaced aggression (TDA) via bottom-up processing modes of de-categorization. Participants were provoked by the experimenter and then interacted with an ostensible out-group member who either did or did not provide a second (triggering) provocation. Study 1 compared TDA toward a triggering out-group member who had previously been either differentiated from the out-group, made the focus of self-other comparison, or was in a no-information control condition. As predicted, both differentiation and self-other comparison reduced aggression relative to the control condition. Study 2 examined the effect of negative self-disclosure from the outgroup target, and contrasted its effects with both self-other comparison with a negative other, and a noinformation control condition. As predicted, triggered participants in the negative self-disclosure condition aggressed less than those triggered in the negative self-other comparison or no-information control conditions. The liking induced by self-disclosure mediated its aggression-reducing effect. Copyright # 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Imagine a man who, after being angered by a severe reprimand from his boss, refrains from retaliation for fear of losing his job. A few minutes later, one of his co-workers-an out-group member-borrows a pen from his desk without permission. In response, he publicly berates the borrower for being presumptive and inappropriate, surprising those who witness his outburst in response to such a minor infraction. This scenario illustrates triggered displaced aggression (TDA). The TDA paradigm, as implemented by Pedersen, Gonzales, and Miller (2000), conceptually describes circumstances in which a minor provocation, the trigger, can elicit a retaliatory response of greater magnitude than is warranted by the tit-for-tat matching rule that generally governs social interaction (Axelrod, 1984). It identifies the experience of a previous, more intense provocation as a critical antecedent for this effect.

Gangs, displaced, and group-based aggression

“…no self-other comparison) provoked participants who compared themselves with an out-group member on a list of personality traits (balanced for valence) displaced less aggression towards the out-group member when she provided a trigger. The authors hypothesized that self-other comparison decategorized the out-group member, who then appeared less negative (Vasquez et al, 2007). This is consistent with other research on TDA that shows that more positively valenced targets receive lower levels of displaced aggression (Pedersen, Bushman, Vasquez, & Miller, 2008).…”

“…Personalization is a complex construct that consists of a number of distinct bottom-up processes. We discuss herein two modes of personalized interactions, self-other comparison and self-disclosure, both of which have shown promise in reducing displaced aggression towards outgroup members (see Vasquez, Ensari, Pedersen, Yunzi-Tan, & Miller, 2007). There are other components of personalization that may have aggression-reducing effects, but research in this area is lacking and detailed discussion about them is largely outside the scope of this article.…”

“…Self-other comparison has been shown to reduce TDA towards out-group members who trigger a previously provoked individual (Vasquez et al, 2007). Vasquez et al, (2007), for example, showed that relative to those in a control condition (i.e.…”

“…Self-other comparison has been shown to reduce TDA towards out-group members who trigger a previously provoked individual (Vasquez et al, 2007). Vasquez et al, (2007), for example, showed that relative to those in a control condition (i.e. no self-other comparison) provoked participants who compared themselves with an out-group member on a list of personality traits (balanced for valence) displaced less aggression towards the out-group member when she provided a trigger.…”

“…Relative to self-other comparison, self-disclosure makes an additional unique (and important) contribution because it carries the implicit message that the discloser trusts the recipient (Steel, 1991;Worthy, Gary, & Kahn, 1969). This effect is likely to increase liking (Collins & Miller, 1994;Halverson & Shore, 1969;Vasquez et al, 2007) and feelings of friendship toward the discloser (Cook, 1978;Pettigrew, 1997), and thus, reduce bias (Ensari & Miller, 2001Miller, 2002). Importantly, self-disclosure has been shown to decrease triggered displaced aggression towards out-group members (Vasquez et al, 2007).…”