SOCIAL EVALUATIONS OF FAIR AND UNFAIR ALLOCATORS IN INTERPERSONAL ANDINTERGROUP SITUATIONS

Based on social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1986) and distributi ve justice norms (Walster, Berscheid & Walster, 1976), hypotheses were set forth outlining expected changes in social evaluations of resourc e allocators with changes from interpersonal to intergroup situations. In interpersonal situations, fair allocators were expected to be more favourably evaluated than unfair allocators. This difference was expe cted to decrease, however, in weak intergroup situations (intergroup a ttenuation hypothesis) and reverse in strong intergroup situations (in tergroup reversal hypothesis). In Expt 1 (N = 126), support for the fo rmer hypothesis was predicted and found in the minimal group paradigm. In Expt 2 (N = 82), support for the latter hypothesis was predicted a nd found following actual intergroup confrontation. In Expt 3 (N = 128 ), neither hypothesis was supported when the target and the recipients were out-group members. The discussion extends these hypotheses to ot her group processes such as leadership endorsement and social influenc e.