Positive responses to intergroup assistance: The roles of apology and trust

Abstract

Recent research on intergroup helping has shown that offers of help from a high- to a low-status group can be responded to negatively by members of the low-status group. The current research, consisting of two studies, explored factors that can influence how helping by a high-status group is responded to and how much it is sought by members of a low-status group, specifically considering the roles of intergroup trust and apologies in this process. Study 1 investigated reactions of Israeli-Arabs to help offered by Israeli-Jews. Study 2 examined willingness of Israeli-Arabs to seek help from Israeli Jews. Converging results across the two experiments showed that responses to assistance were most positive and helping was most strongly sought when there was an explicit apology by a representative of the outgroup for a recent transgression and Israeli-Arab participants had a relatively high level of intergroup trust. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed.