Why other people’s bad behavior can make us act better

You’re on holiday, enjoying dinner at a restaurant, when a fellow tourist from your country loudly insults a local waiter. You feel uncomfortable and embarrassed, even though you’re not the one behaving badly. Feeling you should somehow compensate for your compatriot’s behavior, you apologize to the waiter and leave a large tip.

Many people come across this kind of scenario at some point in their lives—albeit in different contexts. Whether during travel, at a sports event, or online, the actions of strangers can sometimes feel strangely personal when they belong to a group we identify with. New research co-authored by Marco Bertini, Professor of Marketing at Esade, explores why this happens—and why it often pushes people to behave more generously, politely, or helpfully afterward.

The study, published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, was conducted by Julia Von Schuckmann (UPF Barcelona School of Management), Lucia S. G. Barros (FGV EAESP), Grant E. Donnelly (The Ohio State University), and Bertini. Across eight experiments, the researchers examined how people react when another member of their social group behaves badly in front of strangers.

The importance of reputation

The research showed that humans are very sensitive to threats to group reputation. When outsiders witness bad behavior from someone they identify with, they often feel motivated to repair the image of the wider group—even if they had nothing to do with the incident.

People who identified with groups based on nationality, ethnicity, sports, and university affiliations all reacted similarly when they perceived a threat to their group’s reputation. Participants who watched an in-group member behaving rudely or unfairly were more likely to try to compensate through apologizing, donating, or tipping more generously.

However, this attempt to make up for others’ bad behavior was strongest when outsiders were present. In other words, people felt most compelled to make up for fellow group members’ poor behavior if that behavior reflected badly on their social group in the eyes of people who were not in the group.

Why embarrassment can become a social force

We may think of embarrassment as an individual emotion, but the study shows it can also be collective. A person can experience discomfort or a reputational threat due to the bad actions of someone else who shares their identity.

An example of this includes the reactions of locals to the anti-tourism protests in Barcelona. Barcelona residents held protests in the city center, holding banners saying “Tourists Go Home” and using water pistols against tourists who were dining in restaurants. Many media reports gave damning portrayals of Barcelona residents, but many local residents later distanced themselves from the anti-tourism sentiment.

In sports culture, the same mechanism also appears, often seen when fans at a match begin racist chants or incite violence. Other supporters and stakeholders may then feel a responsibility to repair the damage done to the group’s reputation. Such was the case after Real Madrid player Vinicius Jr received racist treatment during a match against Valencia. Afterward, La Liga president Javier Tebas was quoted as saying: “We cannot allow the reputation of a competition… to be tarnished.”

In the online space, digital culture can result in reputational damage spreading rapidly. The ability of videos to go viral poses a challenge for brands and online communities that want to manage their identities. Just one controversial post or a toxic fan can redefine public perception of an entire community in a matter of hours. Consumers who strongly identify with a brand or online group may then feel compelled to defend it, apologize for it, or publicly distance themselves from problematic members.

What the study suggests is that this behavior aimed at righting a wrong is driven by more than just empathy. Consumer behavior is often driven by identity and social belonging, not only by personal preferences.

In the real world, this is important because businesses often operate in environments where identity is central. Consumers don’t just buy products or services; they identify with a brand or group, and participate in communities, cultures, and shared reputations. If there’s a threat to that reputation, people often react emotionally and behaviorally.

The surprising twist: we don’t always step in

As much as we want to protect the image of any group we belong to, the study showed that at times, we don’t always feel the need to speak up or act to compensate for bad actors within our group.

If someone else intervenes first, for example, another tourist at the restaurant speaks up to apologize for the rude diner, then we feel less inclined to intervene. The pressure is off.

The research shows that when we belong to a group, we tend to think with a group mentality. Reputational responsibility is shared among group members. As long as someone from the group responds to a reputational threat, the pressure on other individuals to speak up is lessened.

This helps explain many familiar social situations. In workplaces, for example, employees may feel relieved when a colleague addresses an awkward client interaction or apologizes for a team mistake. In online communities, a single public condemnation of inappropriate behavior may reduce the pressure on other members to comment individually.

Working together to repair trust

For organizations and institutions, the implications are significant. Universities, companies, sports clubs, and brands are increasingly exposed to reputational risks stemming from highly visible individual behavior. Social media can make these moments immediate and global. One incident can quickly influence perceptions of an entire organization or community.

At the same time, the research gives us hope; human beings appear naturally motivated to preserve social trust and repair damaged relationships, even when they are not personally responsible for causing harm.

“Consumers are sensitive to the reputational consequences of group membership and will act even at personal cost to uphold the moral standing of the identities they share,” say the researchers.

The practical implications of the research can be helpful for organizations wanting to foster prosocial behavior, such as charitable giving, tipping, or sustainable choices. Using strategic marketing, non-profits and other bodies could include subtle cues to make group identity more salient and to emphasize social visibility, which could prompt behavior change among the target audience.

The study ultimately reveals how deeply social human behavior is: the actions of strangers can influence not only how others see our groups, but also how we choose to represent those groups when outsiders are watching.