Do reconciliation events serve as a conciliatory signal?

A set of four vignette studies (total N = 1600) examined whether voluntariness, novelty, vulnerability and irrevocability of reconciliation events serve as conciliatory signals that communicate serious intentions for improved relations. Studies 1 and 2 manipulated the presence of the four factors in the reconciliation event initiated by the political leader of a country in a relatively disadvantageous (Study 1) or advantageous (Study 2) position. Studies 1 and 2 revealed that the presence of substantial concession (‘public announcement of abandonment of disputed region’ in Study 1 and ‘demolition of a military facility in the disputed region’ in Study 2) enhanced signal effectiveness (participants perceived these concessions reflecting the political leader's serious conciliatory intention). Follow‐up studies (Studies 3A and 3B), which manipulated the level of concession (high vs. intermediate vs. low), confirmed the main result: High and intermediate levels of concession enhanced signal effectiveness compared to low concession.