NSF/SBE-BSF: How Past Collective Trauma of Suffering and Perpetrating Intergroup Violence Can Facilitate or Prevent Intergroup Violence in the Present

群体间冲突最明显的特征也是最难解决的：痛苦和暴力行为。群体间暴力对受害者和施暴者都造成集体创伤，尽管方式不同。越来越多的研究领域将这种过去的创伤经历视为解决冲突的障碍。对过去创伤的集体记忆，如果牵涉到另一个群体，可能会在这些事件发生很久之后，促进和升级与那个群体的冲突。了解这些问题可能有助于社会在社会内部冲突群体之间以及国家之间发展更和平的互动。美国和以色列的调查人员一起测试了一种综合的理论方法，将集体创伤和未来的群体间暴力联系起来。一个预测是，受害者和延续者都能以相似的方式感知他们群体的集体创伤：要么是一种威胁，产生超出个人处理能力的要求；或者是一种挑战，要求很高，但可以克服并产生积极的结果。心血管研究表明，与威胁反应相比，挑战反应涉及更健康的生理状态和更适应性的行为。在集体创伤的情况下，压力反应也可能产生巨大的社会影响——通过引起防御动机，导致所有参与者的冲突升级。在他们的项目中，研究人员测试了这样一个假设，即将创伤视为威胁还是挑战的决定因素是群体内的美化，或者人们对自己群体的尊重，并倾向于认为自己比其他群体优越。通过测试这些假设，这项研究可以产生可以改善与大规模冲突相关的社会结果的知识。此外，该项目还可为制定以证据为基础的干预措施提供参考，以应对集体创伤和由此产生的暴力。八项研究涉及四个主要目标。其中一个目的是了解集体创伤感知如何在冲突升级或降级方面有所不同。在施暴者中，那些美化自己群体的人应该把他们群体遭受的集体暴力创伤视为对群体形象的威胁，而那些不美化自己群体的人应该把它视为一种挑战。在受害者中，那些赞美他们群体的人应该把他们群体遭受暴力的集体创伤看作是对群体存在的威胁，而其他人应该把它看作是一种挑战和成长的潜力。第二个目的是探索创伤的历史表征如何影响行动的动机和意图。以威胁的形式对过去创伤的认知表征应该使人们产生防御意识，并采取措施，最终促进未来的暴力行为。以挑战的方式表现过去的创伤应该会减少防御行为，并最终防止未来的暴力。第三个目的是测试具有不同创伤历史表征的个体是否有反映威胁与挑战压力反应的心血管反应。第四个目的是确定实验操作是否可以将威胁表征转变为挑战表征。为了验证这些目标，研究人员使用了多种方法，包括自我报告测量和阻抗心动图。研究参与者来自多个经历过集体创伤的国家。这项研究的国际部分得到了国际科学与工程办公室（OISE）的共同资助。

The most defining feature of conflict between groups is also the most challenging to address: the suffering and perpetration of violence. Intergroup violence inflicts collective trauma for both victims and perpetrators, albeit in different ways. A growing field of research identifies such past experiences of trauma as an obstacle to conflict resolution. The collective memory of past trauma that implicates another group can facilitate and escalate conflict with that group long after those events. Understanding such issues may help society develop more peaceful interactions between groups in conflict within a society as well as between nations. Investigators in the U.S. along with investigators in Israel test a comprehensive theoretical approach that links collective trauma and future intergroup violence. One prediction is that both victims and perpetuators can perceive their group's collective trauma in similar ways: as either a threat, creating demands which outstrip one's ability to handle it; or as a challenge, strongly demanding but which can be overcome and result in positive outcomes. Cardiovascular research suggests that challenge responses involve healthier physiological states and more adaptive behavior than do threat responses. In the case of collective trauma, the stress response may have tremendous societal impact as well--by causing defense motivations that result in conflict escalation for all involved. In their project the investigators test the hypothesis that the determining factor in perceiving trauma as threat versus challenge is in-group glorification, or people's deference to their own group and tendency to view it as superior to other groups. By testing these hypotheses, this research can generate knowledge that could improve societal outcomes related to large-scale conflict. In addition, the project may inform efforts to develop evidence-based interventions that deal with collective trauma and the violence that stems from it.Eight studies address four primary objectives. One aim is to understand how collective trauma perceptions can differ in ways that escalate or deescalate conflict. Among perpetrators, those who glorify their group should see their group's collective trauma of perpetrating violence as a threat to the group's image, whereas those who do not glorify their group should see it as a challenge. Among victims, those who glorify their group should see their group's collective trauma of suffering violence as a threat to the group's existence, whereas others should see it as a challenge and potential for growth. The second aim is exploring how historical representations of trauma affect motivation and intention to act. Cognitive representations of past trauma in terms of threat should make people defensive and take measures that ultimately facilitate future violence. Representing past trauma in terms of challenge should reduce defensive behavior and ultimately prevent future violence. The third aim is testing whether individuals with different historical representations of trauma have cardiovascular responses that reflect threat versus challenge stress responses. The fourth aim is determining whether experimental manipulations can shift threat representations into becoming challenge representations. To test these aims, the investigators use multiple methods, including self-report measures and impedance cardiography. Research participants are from multiple countries that have experienced collective trauma. The international component of this research was supported by co-funding from the Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE).