Reduction of interindividual-intergroup discontinuity: the role of leader accountability and proneness to guilt.
Two experiments contrasted interactions between group leaders with interactions between individuals in a mixed-motive setting. Consistent with the idea that being accountable to the in-group implies normative pressure to benefit the in-group, Experiment 1 found that accountable leaders were more competitive than individuals. Consistent with the idea that being unaccountable to the in-group implies normative pressure to be cooperative and that high guilt proneness provides motivation to be moral, Experiment 2 found that when guilt proneness was high, unaccountable leaders were less competitive than accountable leaders and did not differ significantly from individuals. In other words, the robust interindividual-intergroup discontinuity effect was eliminated when groups had unaccountable leaders who were high in guilt proneness.
Pinter
Brad
B
Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, Altoona, PA 16601, USA. tbp1@psu.edu
Insko
Chester A
CA
Wildschut
Tim
T
Kirchner
Jeffrey L
JL
Montoya
R Matthew
RM
Wolf
Scott T
ST
D000328:Adult; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D012941:Social Responsibility