National Identity Affirmation and Guilt Recognition in Japan

• In Event: Post-Conflict Dynamics

Abstract

When do people admit guilt after their group harmed another group? In Northeast Asia, historical issues have become powerful symbols for a host of problems that define the region’s international relations. In particular, Chinese and Korean demands for apologies from Tokyo have not succeeded in reducing long-standing tensions for decades. Experts highlight the strong nationalisms and national identities in each country as obstacles to reconciliation between these countries. I turn this conventional perception around to propose a way to increase guilt recognition through a reinforcement of national identities. In lab-in-the-field experiments conducted with a nationally representative sample of 1,578 Japanese, I find people come to admit higher levels of guilt for either their own or ingroup members’ actions after they were replenished of the worthiness of their national identity. This effect is inward looking in that it does not entail specific comparison with an outgroup. I also find a way to view others; an outward looking effect, which increases guilt recognition. People who perceive of other groups in general as being malleable rather than fixed in nature acknowledge more guilt. In addition, I examine the mechanism that connects identity-affirmation and acknowledgement of guilt in the game, to find that this works through increased tendency for prosocial behavior.

Author

• Eunbin Chung, University of Utah