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Vessels with Gold or Guilt: Emotional Reactions to Family Involvement Associated with Glorious or Gloomy Aspects of the Colonial Past

University of Amsterdam, s.zebel{at}uva.nl

Sjoerd F. Pennekamp

University of Amsterdam

Martijn van Zomeren

University of Amsterdam

Bertjan Doosje

University of Amsterdam

Gerben A. van Kleef

University of Amsterdam

Michael L. W. Vliek

University of Amsterdam

Job van der Schalk

University of Amsterdam

In two studies we examined whether forging a psychological bond with a nation’s colonization past facilitates the experience of positive and negative group-based self-conscious emotions as a function of a positive or negative manipulation of this past. Because people need to belong, we hypothesized that stronger family involvement in a nation’s colonization past (i.e. involved ancestors) evokes stronger a positive self-conscious emotions after positive descriptions of the nation’s colonizing past, and stronger negative self-conscious emotions after negative descriptions. In Study 1, we found support for these hypotheses in a real-life setting in which Dutch people actually found out whether their ancestors were involved in the colonization of Indonesia or not. In Study 2, we manipulated family involvement and valence of the past. Results offered support for the tested hypotheses. Implications of the results are discussed in relation to theories on identity and emotion.

Key Words: emotions • family • involvement • past • valence

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This Article Abstract Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zebel, S. Articles by van der Schalk, J. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?