The Effects of Terrorism: The Aftermath of the London Terror Attacks

Authors: Bux, ShahidM.; Coyne, SarahM.

Source: Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Volume 39, Number 12, December 2009 , pp. 2936-2966(31)

Buy & download fulltext article:

Price: $48.00 plus tax (Refund Policy)

Abstract:

The July 2005 London bombings highlight prevailing terrorist threats to the UK. The present study addressed the psychological response of a community indirectly exposed to the attacks. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), specific hypotheses examined associations between coping mechanisms (resilience, religious faith), emotions, and risk outcomes. Qualitative content analysis demonstrated the complexity of responses to terrorism. SEM analysis showed that resilience helped attenuate the effect of negative emotions; negative emotions heightened risk judgments; and respondents higher on religious faith displayed more positive emotions regarding the attacks. The content analysis supplemented quantitative results. Combined, these results highlight the importance of conveying accurate risk appraisals proportionate to the threat, as well as consideration of psychological operations, including resilience and religious faith.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2009.00556.x

Affiliations: 1: School of Family LifeBrigham Young University

Publication date: 2009-12-01