From inspiration to restoration
Moral elevation as a catalyst for improving intergroup relations in contexts of conflict
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6199806 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sabina Čehajić-Clancy (0000-0001-6822-843X, Stockholm University), Nida Jamshed (0000-0001-6974-0160, Clark University), Andreas Olsson (0000-0001-5272-7744, Karolinska Institutet), Andrea Momčilović (Stockholm University) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 130 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 77-92 |
| Publication date | 2024-08-22 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315 |
| Publisher | American Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1037/pspi0000469 |
| PMID | 39172431 |
| OpenAlex | W4401730035 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
s = 1,131), conducted in four understudied countries directly affected or threatened by intergroup conflict, we demonstrated that induced moral elevation elicits important cognitive and emotional shifts toward adversarial groups, resulting in improved intergroup relations. Specifically, we show that inducing moral elevation through stories of outgroup moral exemplars (individuals who have risked their life to save the life of an outgroup member) enhanced perceptions of intergroup moral similarity and positive emotions toward the outgroup, consequently fostering greater approach and prosocial intergroup behaviors. This pattern proved consistent across four distinct contexts: nonconflict (Sweden), ongoing conflict (Pakistan), protracted conflict (Serbia), and postconflict (Bosnia and Herzegovina). This article advances existing theory on positive emotions by identifying a novel emotional mechanism conducive to improving intergroup relations in contexts of conflict and extends the impact of learning about exemplary moral behaviors performed by relevant others. Ultimately, this article underscores the relevance of moral elevation in mitigating intergroup conflicts using intergroup interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Conflict resolution · Elevation (ballistics) · Group conflict · Social science · Sociology · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · Psychology · Social Psychology
| Citations per year | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |