ABSTRACT
As anyone who watches the news knows, relations between social groups often involve intense emotions. The most obvious examples are negative. In Northern Ireland, Catholics feel angry and resentful about their perceived mistreatment by Protestants. The present inhabitants of Gibraltar are fearful of Spain because they mistrust this powerful neighbor’s intentions. Many Serbs in the former Yugoslavia felt contempt and hatred toward Muslims living in the same country. Of course, intergroup emotions with more positive implications are also possible. For example, Irish Americans might feel sympathy for Catholics in Northern Ireland because they identify with that group’s suffering and regard it as unjust. Germans might feel guilty because of the despicable way that Jews were treated by their compatriots in the first half of the twentieth century. Supporters of a soccer team may feel happy about the achievement of another team if that success was achieved at the expense of a hated rival.
