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Vulnerability and Vigilance: Threat Awareness and Perceived Adversary Intent Moderate the Impact of Mortality Salience on Intergroup Violence
Gilad Hirschberger1*,
Thomas Pyszczynski2,
and
Tsachi Ein-Dor3
1 Bar-Ilan University
2 University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
3 Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: hirschg{at}mail.biu.ac.il.
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Abstract |
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Three studies examined whether perceived adversary intent and personal vulnerability moderate the effects of mortality salience (MS) on violent solutions to conflict. In Study 1, following MS, Israeli participants read a description of de-escalating or escalating Iranian rhetoric. In Study 2, following MS, Israeli participants read about tensions with Iran and reflected on the personal ramifications of the conflict or on the content of the passage. In Study 3, Israeli participants with direct war exposure were compared to participants with no war exposure, and following MS, read a description of escalating or de-escalating Hezbollah rhetoric. Results revealed that MS increased support of violence under escalating conditions and low perceived vulnerability. However, for persons with direct war exposure, MS induced support of violence contingent on adversary rhetoric. Thus, direct experience with war leads to a more nuanced contingent response to existential threat not present among those without direct war experience.
First published on February 10, 2009, doi:10.1177/0146167208331093
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 2009;35:597.
A more recent version of this article appeared on May 1, 2009

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