Glorifying national identification increases schadenfreude about asylum seekers when they are a threat, not entitled to seek asylum, and blamed for their adversity

TY - JOUR

T1 - Glorifying national identification increases schadenfreude about asylum seekers when they are a threat, not entitled to seek asylum, and blamed for their adversity

AU - Berndsen, Mariëtte

AU - Thomas, Emma F.

AU - McGarty, Craig

AU - Bliuc, Ana-Maria

AU - Muntele Hendres, Daniela

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - The purpose of the current research is to explore how mode of identification (glorification versus attachment) results in either schadenfreude “with a bad conscience” (S-BC) about disadvantaged people, or prosocial emotional responses (sympathy and guilt) towards them through appraisals of entitlement, realistic threat, and blame. These relationships were investigated amongst Australians (N = 213) and Romanians (N = 210) in relation to the treatment of asylum seekers in detention centres in those two countries. Consistent with hypotheses, Australian glorifying identifiers considered asylum seekers to be a threat to well-being and to not be entitled to seek asylum. Asylum seekers were therefore blamed for their situation in detention centres and this enhanced group-based S-BC. Very different findings were observed for attached identifiers who expressed group-based sympathy and guilt towards asylum seekers. Similar pathways were observed in the Romanian sample except for the role of entitlement. Moreover, S-BC and related constructs were relatively strong in the Australian sample. The findings are important because they point to the foundations of group-based S-BC. Findings are discussed in relation to the current scale of the global refugee crisis.

AB - The purpose of the current research is to explore how mode of identification (glorification versus attachment) results in either schadenfreude “with a bad conscience” (S-BC) about disadvantaged people, or prosocial emotional responses (sympathy and guilt) towards them through appraisals of entitlement, realistic threat, and blame. These relationships were investigated amongst Australians (N = 213) and Romanians (N = 210) in relation to the treatment of asylum seekers in detention centres in those two countries. Consistent with hypotheses, Australian glorifying identifiers considered asylum seekers to be a threat to well-being and to not be entitled to seek asylum. Asylum seekers were therefore blamed for their situation in detention centres and this enhanced group-based S-BC. Very different findings were observed for attached identifiers who expressed group-based sympathy and guilt towards asylum seekers. Similar pathways were observed in the Romanian sample except for the role of entitlement. Moreover, S-BC and related constructs were relatively strong in the Australian sample. The findings are important because they point to the foundations of group-based S-BC. Findings are discussed in relation to the current scale of the global refugee crisis.

KW - Schadenfreude

KW - asylum seekers

KW - national identification

KW - cross-cultural

KW - threat

KW - blame

U2 - 10.1080/23743603.2017.1360573

DO - 10.1080/23743603.2017.1360573

M3 - Article

VL - 2

SP - 166

EP - 198

JO - Comprehensive Results in Social Psychology

JF - Comprehensive Results in Social Psychology

IS - 2-3

ER -