The one-of-us effect in decision evaluation

Judgment-by-outcomes denotes basing retrospective evaluation of decisions o n the valence of their outcomes (success versus failure). Although decision s are typically evaluated in social contexts, so Far judgment-by-outcomes h as been studied without regard to this context. This study examines the mod erating effect of evaluator's identification with the decision maker (the o ne-of-us-effect) on the influence of outcome information on the evaluation of Arab and Jewish subjects were presented with two cases recounting operat ions by either Arab or Jewish underground directed against the British auth orities in Palestine. One case was a success (from the underground's point of view) and one ended in failure. Consistent with the one-of-us effect, id entification with the decision maker variably canceled the influence of out come information altogether, accentuated or weakened its influence, or dete rmined which outcome constituted successful and unsuccessful outcomes. The one-of-us effect exercised a differential influence over different facets o f decision evaluation, influencing most strongly the assignment of sanction s tin-group decision makers were mostly rewarded, out-group decision-makers were mostly punished regardless of outcomes). Next, in order of potency, t he effect influenced the evaluation of decision justification, the evaluati on of the decision maker, and the evaluation of the quality of decision pro cess. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V, All rights reserved.