Grievance fuels aggressive intergroup inclinations and justification of political violence through hatred rather than anger

Abstract

Grievance—the feeling of being or having been collectively wronged by an outgroup—has gained attention in majority groups facing perceived status threats or norm transgressions. Although grievance can elicit negative emotions, its role in shaping violence‐related tendencies remains unclear. This research examines the emotional pathways linking grievance to violence justification and aggressive intergroup inclinations among majority group members. Across three studies (correlational, field‐based with active protesters and experimental) within the Catalonia‐Spanish State conflict, we explore whether grievance is associated with anger, hatred (Studies 1–3), humiliation and contempt (Study 3), in relation to violence and aggression‐related tendencies. Study 1 ( N  = 365) showed that grievance was associated with aggressive outcomes, and Study 2 ( N  = 185) reaffirmed these findings, with hatred showing more consistent associations than anger. Study 3 ( N  = 377) provided experimental evidence that grievance increases negative emotional responses, particularly hatred, which in turn led to violence justification and aggressive inclinations. Indirect associations through other emotions were weak or non‐significant. Results highlight the role of multiple emotional pathways through which grievance may relate to violence‐related responses among majority groups in polarized intergroup conflicts, with hatred emerging as a consistent emotional pathway.