Explore the vast range of titles available.

This article presents an integrative model mapping the field of intergroup communication. Building from Lasswell’s (1948) model of communication, our map discusses how communication about and between groups can be understood by separating Lasswell’s concepts (sender/receiver, message, channel, and effect). We present the articles in the current special issue as examples fitting within the map and illustrate how the map suggests some interesting extensions of this work.

In intergroup contexts, praise is important to encourage the members of a group to keep the desired behaviors and seems to be generally well-accepted. However, there is some evidence that, under specific conditions, recipients are more suspicious of praise delivered from outgroup rather than ingroup members. The current study ( = 126, university students) examined how people responded to ingroup and outgroup praise that concerned different dimensions (morality vs. competence). Although morality is considered the most important dimension in group evaluation, recipients of morality praise judged it as less pleasant and less sincere and attributed less benevolent motives to the speaker when the speaker was an outgroup (vs. ingroup) member. These findings contribute to the knowledge on responses to group-directed praise, suggesting that outgroup representatives should be careful about the dimension of praise if they wish the praise to be accepted.

Dehumanization in various forms often accompanies intergroup relations. While it is not clear whether it is a signifier of hostility or rather a source of it, there is a clear link - when dehumanization occurs between groups, we can expect effects ranging from a lack of mutual pro-sociality to an endorsement of violence against an out-group. Our study tested whether mutual dehumanization and meta-dehumanization (the belief that we are being dehumanized by an out-group) occur between supporters and opponents of a COVID-19 vaccine. Using a diverse sample (n = 1262) of residents of Poland, the USA and RPA, we investigated whether attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines can form the basis of an in-group preference and to what extent such groups would dehumanize their opponents. We found evidence for strong in-group preferences among both vaccine enthusiasts and vaccine skeptics. We also found evidence of mutual dehumanization and meta-dehumanization. This dehumanization was particularly pronounced in the case of more extreme forms (as assessed by direct dehumanization and blatant dehumanization measures) and marginally present in the case of subtle dehumanization (as assessed by dual model dehumanization). Vaccine enthusiasts dehumanized vaccine skeptics in all aspects measured, vaccine skeptics dehumanized vaccine enthusiasts in all aspects except one - they did not dehumanize them mechanistically. Overall, the dehumanization found was strong, universal across the countries studied, and largely unspecific. Contrary to our predictions, we did not find many distinctive forms of dehumanization specific to a particular target group - the dehumanization observed was largely symmetrical.

Abstract Listening to preferred music can strengthen the social bond between listeners and performers. However, little is known about whether and how social bonds, such as shared group identity, affect music listening activities. In this study, we manipulated social condition (inclusion vs. exclusion) to influence participants’ group identification with music performers, after which they listened to six music pieces by the performers. The behavioral results showed that stronger group identification was associated with greater music liking. Machine-learning predictive models showed the effect of group identification on music liking beyond musical features. Notably, interpersonal brain analyses revealed increased inter-brain synchronization (IBS) in the temporal cortex between participants and performers. This IBS could mediate the relationship between group identification and music liking. The music-related IBS emerged earlier during listening, with participants’ brain activity preceding that of performers, suggesting anticipatory neural engagement. This study reveals the unique role of group identification in shaping music appreciation and the underlying inter-brain mechanisms. It highlights the performer-listener bond as a potential conduit for intergroup communication in musical contexts.

The current study examined how the composition of intergroup contexts affects intergroup communication. We propose that when multiple outgroups exist, an extreme faction can make more moderate factions appear reasonable, creating pathways for influence. We also considered the role that an influence target’s fit with their ingroup (self-prototypicality) plays in responses to outgroup influence attempts. Specifically, we propose, and the current study showed, that both the composition of intergroup context and one’s relationship with their own group can create a pathway toward convergence of opinions and willingness to accept an outgroup’s opinion position. Two experiments (American partisans, = 249), suggest that self-prototypicality in one’s political party positively predicts agreement with an opposing party’s message when the message appears in the presence of a more extreme outgroup than the moderate outgroup alone. This study stresses the importance of considering intragroup and intergroup comparative processes for intergroup communication research.

We explore telerobotics as a novel form of intergroup communication. In this form, remotely operated robots facilitate embodied and situated intergroup contact between groups in conflict over long distances, potentially reducing prejudice and promoting positive social change. Based on previous conceptual frameworks and design hypotheses, we conducted a survey on the acceptance and preferences of the telerobotic medium in Israel and Palestine. We analyzed the responses using a mixed-method approach. The results shed light on differences in attitudes between the groups and design considerations for telerobots when used for intergroup contact. This study serves as a foundation for the implementation of a novel method of technology-enhanced conflict resolution in the field.

PurposeThis study aims to systematically evaluate the psychological factors of independent versus interdependent self-construal, self-evaluation motives of enhancement versus verification, and the mediating role of bridging and bonding social capital on consumers' positive and negative brand-related electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) sharing with in-group and out-group audiences.Design/methodology/approachThe online survey was conducted with young adult consumers in the Netherlands (N = 322). Multiple regression analysis with PROCESS was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsConsumers with independent self-construal are more likely to share negative eWOM, particularly via social messengers with in-group members. These consumers, however, tend to share positive eWOM on companies' social media accounts that reach out-group audiences including online strangers. Additionally, self-evaluation was the key motivation driving positive eWOM sharing with in-groups, while bridging social capital mediated the effects of self-construal on sharing negative eWOM.Originality/valueThe paper provides a more holistic understanding of the factors impacting the valence and intended audience for eWOM sharing. The findings advance eWOM research by differentiating positive and negative eWOM sharing in the context of intergroup communication.

Two studies set against the complex sociopolitical backdrop of the Greek Financial Crisis (2009-2018) examined the role played by media narratives as intragroup communication within Greek society in framing social identity uncertainty and the desired position of the country in the wider intergroup (European) context. The extent of identity-uncertainty produced by the media regarding Greek national identity, future, and relations with the EU was measured in Study 1 ( = 298) and manipulated in Study 2 ( = 293). Study 1 found that exposure to ideologically discordant media messages heightened uncertainty about national identity among right- and left-leaning Greeks. Study 2 found that the type of media chosen (systemic vs. anti-systemic) mediated Greek nationalists’ positions on Grexit, especially under heightened identity-uncertainty. Implications of the role of the media as influential ingroup sources in providing valuable social identity information, especially during a crisis, are discussed.

Overcoming sociopsychological barriers within intergroup communications may bring forth new, practical methods for conflict resolution, particularly crucial for groups engulfed by intractable conflict. This article examines the use of humor—an extremely effective technique of persuasive communication—as one potential route whose potency in resolving intractable conflicts has thus far been neglected. In Study 1, Palestinians who read a message from an \"Israeli representative\" (conveying the Israeli narrative of the conflict) agreed more with the Israeli perspective once three short humorous asides were added to the original statement. When these humorous asides targeted Jewish-Israelis, Palestinian-Israeli participants were more willing to compromise on various aspects of the conflict. In Study 2, Jewish-Israelis who read a messagefrom a \"Palestinian representative were more agreeable to the Palestinian message (portraying the Palestinian narrative) once three short humorous asides were added to the original statement. When these humorous asides were general in nature (but not when they targeted Palestinian-Israelis), Jewish-Israeli participants were more willing to compromise on various aspects of this intractable conflict. These findings further demonstrate the power of psychological barriers in intractable conflicts and the potential of humor to overcome them. Implications and limitations of the current research are discussed.