Solving the paradox – (further) evidence for a quadratic relationship between in‐group centrality and group‐based guilt

Previous research on the relationship between strength of in‐group identification and collective guilt about an in‐group's wrongdoing is mixed, providing evidence for both a negative and a positive relationship. One possible way to reconcile these findings is to explore non‐linear (quadratic) functions. Correlational data (Study 1) and experimental data (Study 2) from two questionnaire studies ( Ntotal = 311) were in line with a quadratic relationship between self‐centrality of the in‐group and collective guilt (inverted U‐shaped function). Collective guilt about a group's transgression was highest at medium levels of in‐group centrality and lower for low and high levels of centrality, respectively. Additionally, defensive in‐group beliefs (i.e., beliefs restoring a positive in‐group image) were also associated non‐linearly with in‐group centrality (cubic relation relationship). Our findings call for a more detailed look on possible non‐linear relationships between in‐group identification and collective guilt or in‐group defensiveness.