My name is Cristhian Martínez, I am an Assistant Professor at the Social Psychology department at the University of Groningen. My broad interest is to better understand how people respond to transgressions in the social and political domains from their value and belief systems. I incorporate in my work different insights and methods from social, political, and developmental psychology, as well as from emotion research.
Project Title
Mechanisms and Strategies of Hate Down-Regulation
Systemic or behavioral change(s) addressed
Hate has been associated with multiple behavioral outcomes including hate speech, moral exclusion, verbal and physical aggression, violence, physical and symbolic elimination, or genocide, among others. Thus, by examining the potential mechanisms for down-regulating hate (as the emotional drive of the above behaviors) the present project aims at the same time to decrease the incidence of such behaviors at the interpersonal and intergroup levels. Based on the results, this can be translated into specific strategies that policymakers, media outlets, and other relevant organizations or individuals with social influence can implement in order to prevent the rise and propagation of hate feelings or promote its down-regulation once they are already triggered.
Theoretical approach
The project is based on classic and contemporary theories of hate (e.g., Sternberg, 2003; Fisher, 2018); recent empirical findings on the antecedents and outcomes of hate (e.g., Matsumoto., 2017; Martínez, 2022); threat perception models of prejudice such as the intergroup threat theory (e.g., Stephan & Stephan, 2000; Rios et al, 2018); the social identity and the identity threat theories (e.g., Branscome et al, 1999); and contemporary accounts on emotion regulation (e.g., Nezlek & Kuppens, 2008).
Empirical research strategies
The project will use a quantitative approach. Data will be collected by means of online surveys and experiments employing vignettes and framing techniques. Based on previous findings, I aim to design manipulations intended to test the effects of three promising types of down-regulation mechanisms on the de-escalation of hate feelings: 1. the reappraisal of the targets’ dispositional attributions, 2. the reappraisal of the perceived threats posed by the targets, and 3. the reappraisal of the roots and characteristics of different intergroup conflicts. Correlational and between and within- subject experimental designs are considered among different samples. Longitudinal studies for testing the effects of the down-regulation mechanisms over time are also considered. Other methods of large data collection within online platforms or social media are not discarded for examining the expected effects.
Possibilities for inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration
The project offers many possibilities for inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration. At the macro-level of analysis, the project would benefit from a more in depth analysis of the influence of historical, cultural, socio-political, and structural factors influencing how people differentially experience hate feelings, as well as the effectiveness of the proposed down-regulation mechanisms. The way in which people experience and cope with negative emotions might vary when considering these macro factors, therefore disciplines such as history, anthropology, sociology, political science, and economy are immensely valuable to provide a more holistic view of the individual experience of strong hate feelings. Considering the rapid spread of negative emotions online, communication and data science are also relevant disciplines to collaborate with in this project. The intended manipulations would also benefit from a more comprehensive knowledge of framing effects and emotional content dissemination online. Because the core of the project is emotion regulation, the contributions of clinical psychology in this matter would be immensely valuable. Relatedly, at the micro-level of analysis the project also offers a platform to collaborate with neuroscientists interested in understanding the neural mechanisms involved in the experience and down-regulation of strong and long-lasting negative feelings.
Social transition(s) addressed
Hate breeds prejudice, polarization, exclusion, aggression and violence and it is at the core of many problems in society ranging from interpersonal aggression to genocide, including political, ethnic, racial, and religious based violent conflicts. Despite its damaging consequences, hate is at the same time one of the less empirically studied human feelings and even its conceptualization is still not clear. With an ongoing wave of polarization and geo-political tensions around the world, as well as more specific instances of intergroup conflicts within many societies, it is relevant to study the mechanisms and potential strategies for down-regulating interpersonal and intergroup hate. Thus, the present project aims to contribute to transitioning to safer and more stable social dynamics at the local, national, and international levels from a socio-emotional perspective.