German desire for historical closure indirectly affects Israelis' intergroup attitudes

Abstract

AbstractResearch indicates that the memory of collective historical trauma may fuel current intergroup conflicts. In the present research, we examined in two experiments whether perpetrator desire for historical closure influences victim group attitudes in a current, seemingly unrelated, intergroup conflict. In Study 1 (N = 122), participants texted with a German confederate who either expressed responsibility, a desire for historical closure (Schlussstrich), or discussed a non‐Holocaust related topic. In Study 2 (N = 115), participants conversed with a German confederate who either acknowledged collective responsibility or expressed a desire for closure. In both studies, attitudes towards the confederate, Germany, and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict were measured. Results indicated that historical closure directly increased negative evaluations of the German confederate, and indirectly influenced attitudes towards Germany, and support for peacemaking with the Palestinians via confederate evaluations. The discussion focuses on perpetrator group influences on the relationship between historical collective trauma and current intergroup relations.