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On being peripheral and paying attention: prototypicality and information processing in intergroup conflict
Gerben A Van Kleef1, Wolfgang Steinel, Astrid C Homan
1Department of Social Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. g.a.vankleef@uva.nl
The Journal of Applied Psychology
|December 5, 2012
Summary
Peripheral representatives, when accountable, are more motivated to process information during intergroup negotiations, leading to better outcomes than prototypical representatives. This research explores group dynamics and negotiation strategies.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Organizational Behavior
- Conflict Resolution
Background:
- Intergroup conflicts are common across various settings, often resolved through negotiations.
- Representatives must balance constituent interests with the opposing party's needs, requiring thorough information processing.
- A negotiator's position within their group (prototypical vs. peripheral) may influence their motivation and negotiation approach.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how a representative negotiator's group position (prototypical vs. peripheral) affects their motivation for information processing.
- To examine the moderating role of accountability to constituents on this relationship.
- To understand how these factors influence negotiation outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Four experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses.
- Participants were assigned roles as prototypical or peripheral representatives.
- Accountability manipulation was employed across experiments.
- Measures included self-reported information-processing motivation, information acquisition and recall, sensitivity to emotional cues, and negotiation agreement type.
Main Results:
- Peripheral representatives demonstrated higher information-processing motivation compared to prototypical representatives, but only when accountable.
- Peripheral representatives acquired and recalled more information, showed greater sensitivity to outgroup emotional expressions, and achieved more integrative agreements under accountability.
- Prototypical representatives did not show these enhanced effects.
Conclusions:
- Accountability enhances the information-processing motivation and effectiveness of peripheral representatives in intergroup negotiations.
- Group position and accountability are critical factors influencing negotiation dynamics and outcomes.
- Findings contribute to theories of group dynamics, motivated information processing, emotion, and intergroup conflict resolution.
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