Personalization and differentiation as moderators of triggered displaced aggression towards out-group targets

Two studies examined the reduction of triggered displaced aggression (TDA) via bottom‐up processing modes of de‐categorization. Participants were provoked by the experimenter and then interacted with an ostensible out‐group member who either did or did not provide a second (triggering) provocation. Study 1 compared TDA toward a triggering out‐group member who had previously been either differentiated from the out‐group, made the focus of self‐other comparison, or was in a no‐information control condition. As predicted, both differentiation and self‐other comparison reduced aggression relative to the control condition. Study 2 examined the effect of negative self‐disclosure from the out‐group target, and contrasted its effects with both self‐other comparison with a negative other, and a no‐information control condition. As predicted, triggered participants in the negative self‐disclosure condition aggressed less than those triggered in the negative self‐other comparison or no‐information control conditions. The liking induced by self‐disclosure mediated its aggression‐reducing effect. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.