Facts as a foundation: How people respond to historical atrocities in five countries

Abstract Informing people about historical atrocities and injustice is considered critical for sustaining democracies and preventing similar atrocities in the future. Yet, what remains unknown is whether exposure to factual information about ingroups' historical injustices, such as genocide, slavery, or colonial crimes, leads to increased willingness to address those injustices. In the first study to systematically assess the impact of such exposure in five countries (Canada, France, Germany, Spain, United States), using large samples ( n > 1500 per country) and a comprehensive battery of outcomes, we find significant, although limited, impact of exposure to factual information. Pre‐registered analyses across countries revealed that participants in the experimental condition reported increased acknowledgment and increased distancing from the identity, while no direct impact on collective action and denial was observed. Exploratory analyses revealed that across countries exposure led to self‐reported learning, which predicted all measured outcomes, as well as interesting heterogeneity at the country‐level. These findings suggest that factual information is an important first step but that other ingredients are needed to facilitate broader dismantling of past injustice.