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

群体间冲突最具决定性的特点也是最具挑战性的问题：苦难和实施暴力。群体间暴力对受害者和肇事者都造成集体创伤，尽管方式不同。越来越多的研究领域认为，这种过去的创伤经历是解决冲突的障碍。对过去创伤的集体记忆牵连到另一个群体，可能会在这些事件发生很久之后促进和升级与该群体的冲突。了解这些问题可能有助于社会在一个社会内冲突中的群体之间以及国家之间发展更和平的互动。美国的调查人员和以色列的调查人员一起测试了一种将集体创伤和未来的群体间暴力联系起来的综合理论方法。一种预测是，受害者和永久者都可以用类似的方式来看待他们群体的集体创伤：要么是一种威胁，造成超出自己能力的需求；要么是一种挑战，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多的适应性行为。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，研究人员测试了一种假设，即将创伤视为威胁与挑战的决定因素是群体内的美化，即人们对自己的群体的尊重，并倾向于将其视为优于其他群体。通过检验这些假设，这项研究可以产生能够改善与大规模冲突相关的社会结果的知识。此外，该项目可能有助于开发基于证据的干预措施，处理集体创伤及其引发的暴力。八项研究涉及四个主要目标。一个目的是了解集体创伤感知在加剧或缓和冲突方面有何不同。在肇事者中，那些美化其团体的人应该将其团体实施暴力的集体创伤视为对团体形象的威胁，而那些不美化其团体的人应将其视为一种挑战。在受害者中，那些美化其团体的人应该将其团体遭受暴力的集体创伤视为对团体生存的威胁，而其他人则应将其视为一种挑战和发展潜力。第二个目的是探索创伤的历史表现如何影响行动的动机和意图。就威胁而言，对过去创伤的认知表现应该使人们具有防御性，并采取最终促进未来暴力的措施。从挑战的角度来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。第三个目标是测试具有不同创伤历史表现的人是否有反映威胁和挑战压力反应的心血管反应。第四个目标是确定实验性操作是否可以将威胁表征转变为挑战表征。为了测试这些目标，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和工程办公室(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).