Contact with former adversaries through mass‐media is linked to forgiveness after dyadic and multi‐ethnic conflicts

Abstract

AbstractFour correlational studies (NAlbanians = 232, NSerbs = 129, NBosniaks = 147, NCroats = 367) and one experimental study (NBosniaks = 682), investigated the link between mass‐mediated contact (i.e., information about former adversaries from the mass media) and forgiveness towards former adversaries in post‐conflict societies. Specifically, we tested the association between positive and negative mass‐mediated contact with one former adversary and forgiveness towards this former adversary (i.e., a primary transfer effect, Studies 1–4) and another former adversary (i.e., a secondary transfer effect, Studies 2–4). Positive mass‐mediated contact with one former adversary was linked to greater forgiveness towards that former adversary and another former adversary. Intergroup trust mediated the primary transfer effect of positive mass‐mediated contact, whereas generalization of trust and forgiveness from one former adversary to another mediated the secondary transfer effect. Our results underline the important role of positive but not negative mass‐mediated contact with former adversaries in reconciliation.