The Distinctive Effects of Empathy and Hope in Intractable Conflicts

Nimrod Rosler, Smadar Cohen-Chen, Eran Halperin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The goal of the current research was to examine how discrete positive intergroup emotional phenomena affect conflict-related attitudes in different contexts of intractable conflict. We hypothesized that empathy, but not hope would be negatively associated with aggressive attitudes during escalation, while hope, but not empathy would be associated with conciliatory attitudes during de-escalation. In study 1, we examined our hypotheses within a correlational design in an emotion-inducing context, while in study 2 a two-wave survey was conducted during real-life events within the context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; a peace summit as well as a war. Both studies supported our hypotheses, thus indicating the unique, yet complimentary, contribution of each of the two emotional phenomena to the advancement of peace.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)114-139
Number of pages26
JournalJournal of Conflict Resolution
Volume61
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2017
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Israeli–Palestinian conflict
  • conflict resolution
  • de-escalation
  • emotions
  • empathy
  • escalation
  • hope

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Business,Management and Accounting
  • Political Science and International Relations
  • Sociology and Political Science

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