The role of value perceptions in intergroup conflict and cooperation

Democratic politics, at its core, consists of competition between group interests. What brings groups into social and political conflict with each other, and what may instead drive them to cooperate or become allies? This paper presents evidence from a nationally representative non-probability survey, finding that groups' perceived values—that is, their general beliefs about what is right or desirable—relate to a broad array of intergroup relationships. Individuals who perceive racial, religious, and partisan outgroup members as supporting self-transcendence values (those related to care, cooperation and other prosocial behaviors) express more positive affect, solidarity, willingness to engage in political action, and tolerance with respect to those groups. The magnitude of this association exceeds those of other perceived basic and political values, even when it comes to explicitly political attitudes or target groups. Thus, fundamental, ostensibly nonpolitical beliefs about outgroups' prosocial intentions may underlie intergroup conflict and cooperation.