Ethnicity and Support for Restorative Justice: The Mediating Role of Malleability Beliefs and Attribution Bias

Abstract

This research evaluates the impact of ethnic identity on support for restorative justice (RJ) within a multiethnic society facing a longstanding conflict. Two experimental studies were conducted in the context of Jewish–Arab relations in Israel. The first (N = 446) analysed the influence of the ethnic identity of the offender, victim and participant on attitudes towards RJ. The second study (N = 560) replicated the results of the first and explored the mediating roles of malleability beliefs and attribution biases. Key findings demonstrate a pronounced ethnic bias in support for RJ, more significant in politically charged contexts than in contexts of criminal offences. Interestingly, in criminal scenarios involving an Arab offender and a Jewish victim, the expected ethnic bias was absent. Malleability beliefs entirely mediated the relationship between ethnic identity and support for RJ, while attribution biases did so only among Arab participants. These findings highlight the intricate role of ethnic identity in RJ support, suggesting the need to account for social identification in RJ frameworks.