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The password is praise: Content of feedback affects categorization of feedback sources
Author(s) -
Rabinovich Anna,
Morton Thomas A.,
Landon Emily,
Neill Caitlin,
MasonBrown Sapphire,
Burdett Lucie
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
british journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 2044-8309
pISSN - 0144-6665
DOI - 10.1111/bjso.12041
Subject(s) - praise , psychology , ingroups and outgroups , categorization , social psychology , valence (chemistry) , outgroup , attribution , criticism , content (measure theory) , developmental psychology , linguistics , art , philosophy , physics , mathematical analysis , literature , mathematics , quantum mechanics
In three experimental studies, we investigated the effect of the content of group‐directed feedback on categorization of the feedback source as an ingroup or an outgroup member. In all studies, feedback valence (criticism vs. praise) and the attributional content of feedback (attributing outcomes to internal properties of the group vs. external circumstances) were experimentally manipulated. The results demonstrated that anonymous (Study 1) and ambiguous (Studies 2 and 3) sources of feedback are more likely to be seen as (typical) ingroup members when they provide praise rather than criticism. In addition, in all studies there was a significant interaction between valence and the attributional content of feedback, such that sources of praise were more likely to be seen as ingroup members when they attributed the group's success to internal (rather than external) causes, while the opposite was observed for critics. These effects were mediated by perceived group image threat. Implications for research on group‐based feedback and social categorization are discussed.