Emotional Numbing and Lessons Learned after a Violent Conflict – Experimental Evidence from Ambon, Indonesia

The consequences of violent conflict remain puzzling, with some studies suggesting discrimination, others discovering increased prosociality, and others finding evidence for reduced prosociality. We solve this puzzle with results from dictator, ultimatum, and trust games run with Muslim and Christian students in post-conflict Ambon, Indonesia. We find that discrimination is only moderate and that the reaction of prosociality is context-specific. Prosociality is low if we reveal the counterpart’s religious or ethnic identity and is high if it is not revealed. Our effects are particularly strong if subjects had been victimised during the conflict. We argue that revealing the identity inhibits the lessons learned from the conflict and brings about emotional numbing because revealed identities remind subjects of the conflict. Such religious and ethnic cues can thus make conflict salient. We infer that avoiding such cues is important for peace reconciliation as well as economic and social development.