Vicarious hypocrisy: Bolstering attitudes and taking action after exposure to a hypocritical ingroup member

• Published in: Journal of experimental social psychology Vol. 62; pp. 89 - 102
• Main Authors: Focella, Elizabeth S., Stone, Jeff, Fernandez, Nicholas C., Cooper, Joel, Hogg, Michael A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego Elsevier Inc 01-01-2016; Academic Press
• Subjects: Attitudes; Behavior; Cognitive dissonance; Experimental psychology; Group dynamics; Hypocrisy; Self-affirmation; Sunscreen; Vicarious; Attitudes; Self-affirmation; Hypocrisy; Vicarious; Cognitive dissonance
• ISSN: 0022-1031; 1096-0465
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2015.09.014

Four studies tested the prediction that when highly identified group members observe another ingroup member behave hypocritically, they experience vicarious hypocrisy, which they reduce by bolstering their support for the ingroup hypocrite's message. Participants in Experiment 1 (N=161) who witnessed a similar ingroup member act hypocritically about using sunscreen reported more positive attitudes toward using sunscreen than participants exposed to an outgroup hypocrite or to a dissimilar ingroup hypocrite. The effect of vicarious hypocrisy on attitude bolstering was attenuated in Experiment 2 (N=68) when ingroup identity was affirmed. In Experiment 3 (N=64), more highly identified participants acquired sunscreen when a fellow ingroup member's hypocrisy was attributed to high compared to low choice. Experiment 4 (N=68) showed that a misattribution cue attenuated the effect of vicarious hypocrisy on sunscreen acquisition. The discussion focuses on the vicarious dissonance processes that motivate some observers to defend, rather than reject, a hypocritical ingroup member.
•Vicarious hypocrisy occurs when observing an ingroup member behave hypocritically.•Vicarious hypocrisy (VH) motivates ingroup members to bolster their attitudes.•VH motivates highly identified ingroup members to perform the advocated behavior.•VH is moderated by the hypocrite's perceived responsibility for the hypocrisy.•VH is attenuated by affirming the valued social identity & by a misattribution cue.