2026/02/09 by Michał Główczewski, Theofilos Gkinopoulos, Aleksandra Cisłak · 1 voice
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Cultural Differences and Values #Personality Traits and Psychology #Social and Intergroup Psychology
paper · doi:10.1111/pops.70115
openalex publication_date 2026/02/09 · openalex created_date 2026/02/11 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15
Abstract Demands for war reparations often re‐emerge in political discourse, decades after conflicts have ended. This research investigates the psychological underpinnings of public support for claiming World War II reparations, focusing on the roles of national narcissism and ingroup victim beliefs. Across four pre‐registered studies conducted in Poland and Greece (total N = 2780), we show that national narcissism—a defensive belief in national greatness coupled with a desire for external recognition—predicts support for war reparation claims. This relationship is mediated by perceptions of ingroup victim beliefs, particularly exclusive victimhood, which emphasizes the ingroup's unique suffering. Our findings illuminate how identity‐based motivations, especially those rooted in narcissistic group beliefs and selective historical narratives, can shape support for populist foreign policy initiatives long after the original conflict has ended.