Douglas M. Stenstrom

Vicarious Retribution: The Role of Collective Blame in Intergroup Aggression

We provide a new framework for understanding 1 aspect of aggressive conflict between groups, which we refer to as vicarious retribution. Vicarious retribution occurs when a member of a group commits an act of aggression toward the members of an outgroup for an assault or provocation that had no personal consequences for him or her but which did harm afellow ingroup member. Furthermore, retribution is often directed at outgroup members who, themselves, were not the direct causal agents in the original attack against the persons ingroup. Thus, retribution is vicarious in that neither the agent of retaliation nor the target of retribution were directly involved in the original event that precipitated the intergroup conflict. We describe how ingroup identification, outgroup entitativity, and other variables, such as group power, influence vicarious retribution. We conclude by considering a variety of conflict reduction strategies in light of this new theoretical framework.

The Roles of Entitativity and Essentiality in Judgments of Collective Responsibility.

Two studies investigated the roles of entitativity and essentiality in judgments of collective responsibility. Analyses focused on four group types (i.e. intimacy groups, task groups, social categories, and loose associations). Repeated measures analyses revealed that intimacy groups and task groups were rated highest in entitativity while intimacy groups and social categories were rated highest in essentiality. Correlational analyses revealed that entitativity played a more central role in judgments of collective responsibility for all four group types. However, tests of interaction effects revealed that essentiality moderated the effect of entitativity on blame judgments. Implications of the role of collective responsibility in intergroup relations are discussed.

The Roles of Ingroup Identification and Outgroup Entitativity in Intergroup Retribution

A new aspect of intergroup conflict was investigated— vicarious retribution—in which neither the agent of retribution nor the target of retribution are directly involved in the initial intergroup provocation. The underlying processes involved in vicarious intergroup retribution were tested correlationally (Study 1) and experimentally (Study 2). Both ingroup identification and outgroup entitativity predict the degree of vicarious retribution. In both studies, there was evidence of motivated cognition, specifically that highly identified individuals perceived the outgroup as higher in entitativity than individuals low in identification. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that part of the effect of identification on retribution against the outgroup was mediated through perceptions of entitativity.

Explaining the effects of crossed categorization on ethnocentric bias.

Part 1. Introduction. R.J. Crisp, M. Hewstone, Multiple social categorization: Context, process, and social consequences. Part 2. Multiple Category Representation. C. McGarthy, Hierarchies and minority groups: The roles of salience, overlap and background knowledge in selecting meaningful social categorizations from multiple alternatives. E.R. Smith, Multiply categorizable social objects: representational models and some potential determinants of category use. Part 3. Multiple Categorization and Social Judgement. J.F. Dovidio, S.L. Gaertner, G. Hodson, B.M. Riek, K.M. Johnson, M. Houlette, Recategorization and crossed categorization: The implications of group salience and representations for reducing bias. R.J. Crisp, Commitment and categorization in common ingroup contexts. M.A. Hogg, M.J. Hornsey, Self-concept threat and multiple categorization within groups. Part 4. Cross-Cutting Categorization and Evaluation. N. Miller, J. Kenworthy, C.J. Canales, D.M. Stenstrom, Explaining the effects of crossed categorization on ethnocentric bias. T.K. Vescio, C.M. Judd, P. Chua, The crossed categorization hypothesis: cognitive mechanisms and patterns of intergroup bias. R. Singh, Gender among multiple social categories: Social attraction in women but interpersonal attraction in men. Part 5. Broader Perspectives. J. Phinney, L.L. Alipuria, Social categorization among multicultural, multiethnic, and multiracial individuals: Processes and implications. N.A. Carter, Political institutions and multiple social identities. Part 6. Conclusion. M. Hewstone, R. Turner, J. Kenworthy, R.J. Crisp, Multiple social categorization: Future directions.

School Rankings, Department Rankings, and Individual Accomplishments: What Factors Predict Obtaining Employment After the PhD?

The outcome of a graduate student’s hunt for employment is often attributed to the student’s own accomplishments, the reputation of the department, and the reputation of the university. In 2007, a national survey of psychology graduate students was conducted to assess accomplishments and experiences in graduate school, part of which was an assessment of employment after completion of the doctorate (PhD). Five hundred and fifty-one respondents who had applied for employment reported whether they had obtained employment and in what capacity. Survey results were then integrated with the National Research Council’s most recent official ranking system of academic departments. The strongest predictor of employment was department-level rankings even while controlling for individual accomplishments, such as publications, posters, and teaching experience. Equally accomplished applicants for an employment position were not equal, apparently, if they graduated from differently ranked departments. The results also show the degree to which school-level rankings, department-level rankings, and individual accomplishments uniquely predict the various types of employment, including jobs at PhD-granting institutions, master’s-granting institutions, liberal arts colleges, 2-year schools, outside academia, or no employment at all.

The Relationship between School/Department Rankings, Student Achievements, and Student Experiences: The Case of Psychology

What predicts academic success during graduate school? What are the experiences of graduate students in terms of happiness, stress level, relationships in the program, and feelings of autonomy/competence? Responses from 3,311 graduate students from all psychological disciplines in the US and Canada were collected to answer questions involving (1) the relationship between student-level variables and department/school rankings (US News & World Report, Carnegie Foundation, National Research Council), (2) the determinants of important student-level variables such as number of publications, posters, and life satisfaction, and (3) examining the variables year-by-year in the program to explain changes over time at different points in the graduate career. Results reveal the degree to which certain aspects of higher ranked departments/schools impact student achievements such as number of publications and teaching experience. The results also reveal a unique year-by-year progression including a consistent decrease of happiness for every year in graduate school. While the findings were collected in psychology, the answers to these questions may resonate with graduate students across disciplines that are experiencing similar forces that characterize the graduate school experience. The results can also inform current conversations about the direction of higher education and the value of the graduate school experience.

Effect of public safety realignment variables on the perceived employability of former offenders: public perception of the role of type of custody and program participation

ABSTRACT The objective of the current research was to investigate the public perceptions of conditions pertaining to employability of former offenders as it relates to custody type and use of rehabilitative programs such as vocational and life skills classes. After reading a hypothetical job description for a cashier position, participants evaluated the perceived employability for former offenders that varied by type of custody (state prison, county jail, or community-based alternative to custody) and participation in the rehabilitative programs (presence versus control). Results of the 3 × 2 between-subjects analysis revealed the effect of each variable on the overall employability measure as well as the individual components (basic skills, thinking skills, personal qualities, and perceived dangerousness of applicant). Mediational analysis also revealed how the individual components mediated the effect for custody type of former offenders on employability. Implications are discussed for how public perceptions of the variables can aid policy makers, correctional staff, and service providers in understanding the intended impact of the variables on future employment prospects of former offenders.