Terrorist fears after 7/7

1
Terrorist fears after 7/7

• Robin Goodwin, SSSL, Brunel University
• Michelle Willson
• Matt McKay
• Alex Bailey
• Stan Gaines

2
Terrorism and psychology

• Terror attacks of 9/11, and attacks in Africa,
  Russia, UK, Spain and the Middle East, have
  alerted us to apparent new threats posed by
  terrorism
• Psychological research fairly new.
• However, a number of psychological theories
  available pertinent to this topic.
• Include theories of risk (e.g. Slovic), Terror
  Management Theory (e.g. Greenberg), several
  theories of group influence.

3
Values and value change

• Work on values largely assumed that values remain
  stable during adulthood.
• Such stability reinforced by occupational class
  structures that maintain value consistency across
  generations (Kohn et al, 1990).
• During periods upheaval in a society it would
  seem adaptive for individuals to change some of
  their values to fit their circumstances (Schwartz
  Bardi, 1997)

4

• Security values particularly responsive to
  changes in the immediate social context (Boehnke,
  2001). Emphasise safety.
• Raviv et al (2000) found increase in security
  values amongst school children following Rabin
  assassination
• Frink, Rose, Canty (2004) reported significant
  increases in Security values in the US following
  Oklahoma terrorist bombing
• Verkasalo, Goodwin Bezmenova (2006) found
  increase in security following WTC attacks in New
  York

5

• Benevolence concerns welfare of others of
  importance to you
• Clinical studies following terrorist incidents
  suggest a greater concern for family and personal
  safety (e.g., Applewhite Dickins, 1997)
• Development of relatively strong, benevolent
  ties following terrorist incidents (Vertzberger,
  1997).

6
Values and value change

• Despite an expectation of value change following
  a major incident as shock and stress wear off,
  the value pendulum begins to swing back
  (Vertzberger, 1997
• We therefore expect values to turn to pre-attack
  levels in subsequent months.

7
Behaviour and cognitive concerns

• Several important adaptive behavioural changes
  may follow an increased terror threat. When under
  threat may be increased contact with families and
  friends (Bowlby TMT).
• In addition, there are likely to be persisting
  fears of being a victim, mortality salience (fear
  of death) and worries that interfere with daily
  life. These however also liable to decrease over
  time.
• These changes may however be related to the
  individual values of those concerned.

8
Pre July 2005 and after

• We collected data in September 2003 on values and
  other predictors of terrorism fears and
  consequent behaviour on 100 employees of the
  British Library (BJP, 2005)
• On July 7th 2005 (7/7), four suicide bombers
  blew themselves up on London Underground trains,
  killing 52 people and injuring more than 700. Two
  weeks later a similar attack was attempted but
  failed due to faulty explosives.

9

• We also collected data in the week following the
  July 7th bombings (between 7th and 13th July),and
  at three, one month periods after that.
• Respondents approached in the street in London
  and Oxford.

10
Participants
Sep 03 July 05 Aug 05 Sep 05 Oct 05
Male1 () 49 43 58 51 54
Female () 51 57 42 49 46
Total N 100 125 88 103 113
1 No gender differences in samples (x2 (4)
5.29)
11
Questionnaire (selected items)

• Values. Schwartz 21 item (ESS) version of the
  Schwartz Person Profiles Questionnaire IV.
  (6-point scales (from not at all like me to very
  much like me).
• Sex, age, location (London or other)
• Perceived probability of attack
• How probable do you think a terror attack on
  Britain is, on a scale of 0 (not at all) to 100
  (extremely likely)?
• How likely is this attack to directly threaten
  you or you family, on a scale of 0 (not at all)
  to 100 (extremely likely)?

12

• Have you adapted your schedule to spend more time
  with your family (friends) since the threat of
  terrorist attacks? (yes, no or unsure)
• Have you contacted family/ friends more since the
  threat of terrorist attacks? (yes or no),
• Are you in a romantic relationship? (yes or no)
  then, if yes,
• Has the relationship become closer / more distant
  since the threat of terrorist attacks? (5 point
  scale).

13
Additional questions in 2005

• Would you say that you have been thinking about
  death and your own mortality more since the
  threat of attacks upon Britain? (Yes/No).
• How concerned are you personally about you
  personally, or a family member. Being a victim of
  a future terrorist attack in Britain.

14
Comparisons with 2003 data Generalised fears of
attack
F (4, 520) 4.54, plt .001, ?2 .034)
15
General fear of attack post 7/7 (N 429)
16
Comparisons with 2003 data Personal fears
F (4, 520) 4.92, plt .001, ?2 .036
17
Personal fear of attack post 7/7 (N 429)
18
Concerned about being a victim post 7/7
19
Mortality salience post 7/7
20
Difficulty in focusing on job since 7/7
21
Changes in values

• Controlling for age and sex, clearest change in
  values is in security values, which leapt from a
  M of 4.05 to 4.65 between the September 03 and
  July 05 samples, and stable about this figure
  since (F 8.32, plt .001 ?2 .06.
• When we compare just London residents, change
  more marked (F 9.21, plt .001, ?2 .12).
• Benevolence values show more complex pattern F
  (5, 522) 3.89, plt6 .01, ?2 .03), being higher
  after the bombings in July and August.

22
Security values since 2003
23
Benevolence values since 2003

24
Increase in family contact
25
Values and fear perception

• People with values that emphasised security,
  caring for others, and traditional views were
  more likely to be worried about being a victim of
  the attacks, have difficulty focusing on work,
  and were more likely to increase contact with
  families (rs .15-.22).
• Self-enhancement was negatively correlated with
  concern about being a victim or contacting
  families (r .12)

26
Self-Transcendence
Universalism 10
Openness to change
Self-Direction -22
Benevolence 18
Stimulation - 07
Tradition 24
Conformity 05
Hedonism -12
Conservation
Security 15
Achievement -07
Power -25
Self-Enhancement
Values and fear of being a victim, controlling
for total value scores
27
Conclusions

• Increasing prominence of terrorism threat means
  this likely to be a topic of concern for a wide
  range of social scientists
• Our work is still at an early stage analysis of
  4 wave data in progress
• A number of factors are likely to be important
  alongside values in perceiving and responding to
  threat and anxieties related to terrorism