Citation

Lindén M, Björklund F, Bäckström M. Scand. J. Psychol. 2018; 59(5): 547-552.

Affiliation

Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Scandinavian Psychological Associations, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/sjop.12463

PMID

29958323

Abstract

Self-reported level of right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), the two facets of social dominance orientation (SDO-Dominance and SDO-Egalitarianism) and pro-torture attitudes were measured both in the immediate aftermath (terror salience, N = 152) of the terror attacks in Paris and Brussels and when terrorism was not salient.

RESULTS showed that RWA and pro-torture attitudes, but not SDO-Dominance and SDO-Egalitarianism, were significantly higher immediately after (non-salience, N = 140). Furthermore, RWA and SDO both predicted pro-torture attitudes more strongly under terror salience. We argue that the reason why RWA is higher under terror salience is a response to external threat, and that SDO-Dominance may be more clearly related to acceptance of torture and other human-rights violations, across context. Future research on the effects of terror-related events on sociopolitical and pro-torture attitudes should focus on person-situation interactions and also attempt to discriminate between trait and state aspects of authoritarianism.

© 2018 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Language: en

Keywords

Right-wing authoritarianism; social dominance orientation; terrorism; torture