Blame is socially contagious

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Merely observing someone publicly blame someone else for a problem, even someone innocent, increases the odds blaming will become viral, U.S. researchers said.

Nathanael J. Fast, an assistant professor at University of Southern California, and Larissa Tiedens, a professor at Stanford University, conducted four different experiments and found blame spreads quickly because it triggers the perception that one's self-image is under assault and must be protected.

The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, found blaming becomes common when people are worried about their safety in an organization.

"When we see others protecting their egos, we become defensive too," Fast said in a statement. "We then try to protect our own self-image by blaming others for our mistakes, which may feel good in the moment."

When public blaming becomes common practice -- especially by leaders -- its effects on an organization can be insidious and withering because people who are fearful of being blamed for something become less willing to take risks, are less innovative or creative, and less likely to learn from their mistakes, Fast said.

"Blame creates a culture of fear," Fast said, "and this leads to a host of negative consequences for individuals and for groups."