Boyer Pascal, Chantland Eric
Department of Anthropology and Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
Hum Nat. 2025 Jun;36(2):238-256. doi: 10.1007/s12110-025-09493-x. Epub 2025 Jun 2.
In four pre-registered studies, we tested implications from a cooperation model that explains victim-blaming and victim-devaluation as the result of cooperation dilemmas, as a way for people to avoid the costs of helping victims (who seem to be unpromising cooperation partners) without paying the reputational cost of being seen as ungenerous, reluctant cooperators. An implication of this perspective is that, if a victim of misfortune is seen as imposing costs on others by requesting help (as opposed to bearing the costs), they will be seen as persons of low character, avoided as future cooperators, and deemed responsible for their misfortune (seen as negligent). The four studies presented here support these predictions. The effect is not confounded by familiar or social obligations, as it occurs in the same way when the targets, from whom help is requested, are the victim's parents, siblings, best friends or communities. Contrary to expectations, negligence attributions were not modulated by the victim's being described as poor (in need of help) or rich (not in need).
在四项预先注册的研究中，我们检验了一种合作模型的影响。该模型将指责受害者和贬低受害者解释为合作困境的结果，是人们避免帮助受害者（似乎是没有前途的合作伙伴）的成本，同时又不承担被视为不慷慨、不情愿的合作者的声誉成本的一种方式。这一观点的一个影响是，如果一个不幸的受害者被视为通过请求帮助（而不是承担成本）给他人带来成本，他们将被视为品格低下的人，作为未来的合作伙伴而被回避，并被认为对自己的不幸负责（被视为疏忽）。这里呈现的四项研究支持了这些预测。这种效应不会因熟悉或社会义务而混淆，因为当被请求帮助的对象是受害者的父母、兄弟姐妹、最好的朋友或社区时，它以相同的方式出现。与预期相反，疏忽归因并没有因将受害者描述为贫穷（需要帮助）或富有（不需要帮助）而受到调节。
