Are rescuers less sensitive to intergroup hostility than genocide perpetrators? An experimental study of intergroup empathy bias

While most individuals are susceptible to intergroup biases, some appear less sensitive to them and to propaganda targeting outgroup members. This study focuses on genocide rescuers in Rwanda, who risked their lives to save outgroup members despite years of hostile propaganda. We will investigate their sensitivity to intergroup favoritism and hostility, comparing them to former perpetrators and bystanders on the intergroup empathy bias, which usually predicts a lower neural response (P3/LPP) to the pain of outgroup members compared to ingroup members. Using a minimal group paradigm, participants will be assigned to fictitious groups and asked to visualize pictures of ingroup and outgroup members receiving either painful stimulation (e.g., a knife) or non-painful stimulation (e.g., a feather). Study 1 examines ingroup favoritism, while Study 2 introduces a hostile message to assess outgroup discrimination. The neural response to pain will be assessed using the P3 and LPP components over centro-parietal electrodes. The study also explores whether empathy intergroup biases are transmitted across generations by examining the offspring of rescuers, perpetrators, and bystanders. This research aims to provide insights into the variability of intergroup biases and the factors influencing susceptibility to hostile group dynamics.