Group‐based guilt makes university students more short‐sighted depending on making choices for self or others

People do not only feel guilty for transgressions that they are causally responsible for (i.e., personal guilt); they also feel guilty for transgressions committed by those they identify as ingroup members (i.e., group‐based guilt). It is not clear how group‐based guilt influences people's intertemporal choices. To explore the effects of group‐based guilt on individuals' intertemporal choices and the moderating role of making intertemporal choices for oneself and others, three studies were conducted. Study 1a first examined the effect of group‐based guilt on individuals' intertemporal choices; Study 1b further examined this effect under compensated conditions. Study 2 examined the effect of group‐based guilt on intertemporal choices for oneself and others. Results showed that group‐based guilt increased delay discounting compared to control condition. When making choices for themselves, group‐based guilt increased delay discounting; in contrast, when making choices for others, this effect was attenuated. In conclusion, group‐based guilt leads to short‐sighted choices especially when people making choices for themselves than others.