Seeing Through Their Eyes: When Majority Group Members Take Collective Action on Behalf of an Outgroup

Robyn K. Mallett (1) , Jeffrey R. Huntsinger (1) , Stacey Sinclair (2) , Janet K. Swim (3)

1 Loyola University [Chicago]
2 University of Virginia
3 Penn State - Pennsylvania State University

We examined majority group members' collective action on behalf of a minority group, focusing on the role of outgroup perspective taking and group-based guilt. As expected, outgroup perspective taking was positively associated with heterosexuals' collective action in response to hate crimes against non-heterosexuals and Whites' action in response to hate crimes against Blacks (Studies 1 and 2). This association was partially mediated by group-based guilt (Studies 2 and 3). We also examined the role of group-based anger; although it directly related to collective action, it did not mediate the association between perspective taking and collective action. Finally, we manipulated outgroup perspective taking to demonstrate its causal role in the subsequent outcomes (Study 3).

Mots clés: collective action; group-based anger; hate crime; identity; outgroup perspective taking; White guilt

Robyn K. Mallett, Jeffrey R. Huntsinger, Stacey Sinclair, Janet K. Swim. Seeing Through Their Eyes: When Majority Group Members Take Collective Action on Behalf of an Outgroup. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 2008, 11 (4), pp.451-470. ⟨10.1177/1368430208095400⟩. ⟨hal-00571699⟩