The Psychological Effects of Terrorism are Moderated by Cultural Worldviews. Issue 1 (23rd August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nugier, Armelle; Roebroeck, Elodie; Anier, Nolwenn; Kleinlogel, Emmanuelle P.; Chatard, Armand; Guimond, Serge
• Is Part Of: International review of social psychology. Volume 29:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 77
• Page End: 84
• Publication Date: 2016-08-23
• Subjects: Terrorism -- threat -- cultural worldview -- colorblind equality -- ingroup bias -- terror management theory -- laboratory; Terrorisme -- menace -- normes culturelles -- colorblind -- biais intergroupe -- Théorie du management de la terreur -- laboratoire; Social psychology -- Periodicals; 302.05
• DOI: 10.5334/irsp.61
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2397-8570

Abstract

Terrorism cannot be easily studied experimentally for obvious reasons. We report the results of a laboratory study ( N = 149) testing the effect of cultural worldviews on feelings of threat and hostility toward Muslims in France that include in the design the deadly terrorist attack of January 7 th 2015 in Paris as a naturally occurring independent variable. The results replicate past research by showing that in a natural context, people felt more threatened and more hostile toward Muslims after the terrorist attack than before. However, the reverse occurred in an experimental condition that made the French cultural worldview of colorblind equality salient: People felt less threatened and less hostile after the terrorist attack than before. These results provide, for the first time in the context of a real terrorist attack, support for Terror Management Theory's proposal that cultural worldviews are an effective buffer against terror.