AUTHOR=Jin Wen Jie , Park Sang Hee , Park Joonha 

TITLE=Apology and Its Acceptance: Perceived Reconciliatory Attitudes Reduce Outgroup Dehumanization

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.809513

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2022.809513

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p>Based on real-life intergroup animosities originating from a historical conflict, the current study examined how the perceived stance of the outgroup about the conflict affects the dehumanization of the outgroup. In Study 1 (<italic>N</italic> = 120), Korean undergraduates attributed more <italic>human nature</italic> to the Japanese after reading an article that the Japanese government did (vs. refused to) issue an official apology for a historical wrong. In turn, the more human nature assigned to the Japanese predicted higher expectations about positive mutual relations in the future. Similarly, in Study 2 (<italic>N</italic> = 209), Japanese undergraduates attributed more <italic>human uniqueness</italic> to Koreans after reading an article that an official apology for a historical wrong from Japan was accepted (vs. rejected) by Koreans. The higher the perceived human uniqueness of Koreans was, the higher were the willingness to help and the expectations of a positive relationship in the future. The findings demonstrate how mutual dehumanization can be reduced as a result of the other side’s reconciliatory stances and can further contribute to improving intergroup relations.</p>