TY - JOUR
T1 - Does moving from war zone change emotions and risk perceptions? A field study of Israeli students
AU - Shahrabani, Shosh
AU - Benzion, Uri
AU - Rosenboim, Mosi
AU - Shavit, Tal
PY - 2012/9
Y1 - 2012/9
N2 - The current field study uses data collected after the 2009 war between Israel and the Hamas militias in the Gaza Strip ended. The study compares recalled emotions and perceived risks among two groups of students, all of whom were exposed to rocket attacks. Individuals in the "left the war zone" group left the region under attack as a precautionary action, while the "stayed in the war zone" group remained in the region during war. The results indicate no significant differences in the levels of recalled fear and anger between the two groups, while the perceived self-risk from terror was higher among the "stayed in the war zone group. Yet, a higher level of recalled fear was found among those who left the war zone and whose parents resided in the war zone, compared to those who left the war zone and whose parents resided outside the war zone. In addition, fearful people became more pessimistic about their level of personal risk from terror, but not about the routine risks. We conclude that civilians need attention even if they leave the war zone since leaving the attacked region as a precautionary action may mitigate perceived self-risk from terror but does not seem to eliminate the high level of negative emotions evoked by the terror attacks.
AB - The current field study uses data collected after the 2009 war between Israel and the Hamas militias in the Gaza Strip ended. The study compares recalled emotions and perceived risks among two groups of students, all of whom were exposed to rocket attacks. Individuals in the "left the war zone" group left the region under attack as a precautionary action, while the "stayed in the war zone" group remained in the region during war. The results indicate no significant differences in the levels of recalled fear and anger between the two groups, while the perceived self-risk from terror was higher among the "stayed in the war zone group. Yet, a higher level of recalled fear was found among those who left the war zone and whose parents resided in the war zone, compared to those who left the war zone and whose parents resided outside the war zone. In addition, fearful people became more pessimistic about their level of personal risk from terror, but not about the routine risks. We conclude that civilians need attention even if they leave the war zone since leaving the attacked region as a precautionary action may mitigate perceived self-risk from terror but does not seem to eliminate the high level of negative emotions evoked by the terror attacks.
KW - Emotions
KW - Optimism
KW - Risk perceptions
KW - Terrorism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84867177699&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/s1930297500006380
DO - 10.1017/s1930297500006380
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AN - SCOPUS:84867177699
SN - 1930-2975
VL - 7
SP - 669
EP - 678
JO - Judgment and Decision Making
JF - Judgment and Decision Making
IS - 5
ER -