Citation

DeRidder R, Schruijer SGL, Rijsman JB. Aggressive Behav. 1999; 25(2): 91-96.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, International Society for Research on Aggression, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Jones and Davis's [1965. Advances in experimental social psychology. Academic Press] notion of "personalism" was experimentally tested in a situation in which behavior had negative hedonic relevance for the recipient. It was hypothesized that (1) if a person is attacked by another person, this victim will react more negatively than when no attack occurs and that (2) a victim who is singled out for attack will react more negatively compared with victims of an undistinctive attack (i.e., when the actor behaves similarly toward the victim and a third person). A 2 x 2 design was employed with "Victim of attack" as the first factor (no attack vs, attack) and "Behaviour toward a third person" as the second factor (no attack vs. attack). The main dependent variable was the number of attacks by the victim toward the attacker (retaliation). Thirty-two students took part in the experiment. Victims of attack retaliated more against the attacker than those who suffered from no attack. Victims of a personalistic attack retaliated more than victims of an undistinctive attack. The results, confirming both hypotheses, support an attributional view on harm-doing and contradict the notion of retaliation as pure behavioral reciprocity.