PhD student : Iwan Dinnick, Keele University, UK - Promotor : Prof. Masi Noor (Keele University, UK) - Co-promotor : Jasper Van
Assche.

In the present project, we present a more refined analysis of the negative relationship between social identity and outgroup
forgiveness attitudes. Across multiple studies, conducted in the real-world intergroup conflict sparked by the United Kingdom’s
decision to leave the European Union (i.e., Brexit), we utilized a multicomponent model of social identity to determine what
dimension of ingroup identification is responsible for suppressing outgroup forgiveness attitudes. In a first study, we already revealed
that it is the self-investment dimension of group members’ social identity which suppresses the desire to forgive an adversarial
outgroup, and this finding held for both groups involved in the conflict (i.e., Leavers and Remainers). A second, three-wave
longitudinal, study replicated the between-person effect of the self-investment dimension and revealed a negative within-person effect
of self-investment on forgiveness. Additionally, Remainers (vs. Leavers) were significantly less forgiving, but both groups’
levels of forgiveness increased overtime. The present findings yield important theoretical contributions to multicomponent models of
social identity, intergroup forgiveness, and the interplay of these constructs.