Third-party effects on intergroup trust: the role of punishment/compensation and group regulatory focus

Intergroup trust refers to a collective prediction and belief among members of one group regarding those of another in intergroup interactions. It plays an important role in avoiding intergroup conflicts, and thereby sustaining social development. This study was designed to investigate the effects of third-party punishment and compensation, as well as group regulatory focus, on intergroup trust. The findings revealed that, at both individual and group levels, prevention-focused groups exhibited higher levels of intergroup trust than promotion-focused groups under third-party compensation conditions. In contrast, under the third-party punishment conditions, promotion-focused groups displayed greater trust than prevention-focused groups, although this difference was not statistically significant. Overall, this study demonstrates that third-party punishment is more effective in enhancing intergroup trust for promotion-focused groups, whereas third-party compensation is more effective for prevention-focused groups.