SGER: Restoring Assumptions of Safety and Control Following the 2001 Terrorist Attacks

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The terrorist attacks of September 2001 were not just an assault on the physical infrastructure of the U.S. -- they also represented a blow to the sense of safety and security of millions of Americans. The attacks were personally salient to all Americans because of the extensive media coverage, the choice of Americans as targets, and the likelihood of further attacks. Thus it seems likely that the majority of Americans who were not victims themselves suffered significant effects from the attacks including anxiety and reduced personal control, a challenge to their sense of meaningfulness in life, and a sense of vulnerability regarding airline passenger travel, the water supply, and anthrax. Although some of these effects have abated as most individuals found ways to restore their adaptive assumptions of control, invulnerability, and meaning, it seems likely that many individuals remain in a heightened state of anxiety and have not found useful ways to regain a sense of security and meaning. The long-term consequences for those who remain anxious are a lowered quality of life, including increased stress and restrictions in lifestyle. The goal of this small grant for exploratory research is to explore how most people in the general public have restored adaptive assumptions of control, invulnerability, and meaning following the terrorist attacks. Through open-ended interviews and questionnaires, the cognitive and behavioral strategies to restore control following the attacks will be identified. Based on "Assumptive Worlds Theory," it is predicted that the use of strategies to restore a sense of control will be associated with higher current levels of adaptive assumptions and lower anxiety. Furthermore, it is expected that success in restoring assumptions will be associated with prior resolution of a victimization, a sense of general perceived control, and the use of social support in times of crisis. It is critically important that public decision makers and Americans themselves understand the process of restoring adaptive assumptions following a nationwide disaster. This research will help individuals understand their reactions to the events and will identify adaptive responses that reduce anxiety and disruption to everyday life. This practical information about common responses and adaptive reactions to the attacks will be disseminated to the public through the popular media and made available to public health officials through the professional literature. At the same time, this study extends theories about personal traumatic life events to individuals who are not victims themselves, but fellow members of a targeted group, and can establish the utility of Assumptive Worlds Theory for understanding these widespread reactions to a national disaster.