Cited by 18Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political ViolenceSocial and Intergroup PsychologyDeath Anxiety and Social Exclusion

The pivotal role of perceived emotional synchrony in the context of terrorism: challenges and lessons learned from the March 2016 attack in Belgium

Pelletier, Petra·2018·Journal of Applied Social Psychology

Abstract

Abstract Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack against the World Trade Center in New York City, terrorism has become one of the most distressing large‐scale societal threats. The March 22, 2016 terrorist attack in Brussels, the capital of Belgium undermined the collective sense of perceived security and social cohesion. The present research investigates Belgian civilians’ (N = 202) terrorist threat perception, personal emotions, and the role of perceived emotional synchrony in the construction of the perceived socioemotional climate in Belgium. The main purpose of the current study was to examine the role of perceived emotional synchrony emerging in collective gatherings as a regulatory mechanism improving the perceived socioemotional climate of the country. Additionally, the precise components (personal vs. collective) shaping the perceptions of terrorist threat were also examined. This study was conducted by a questionnaire during the collective gatherings in Brussels 1 week after the terrorist attack. The main results suggest that the terrorist threat has been perceived at the collective level rather than at the personal level. Furthermore, the perceived emotional synchrony with others mediated specifically the relationship between positive personal emotions and the perceived positive socioemotional climate in Belgium. Such findings point to the importance of considering the perceived emotional synchrony in order to provide a better understanding of lay people's psychosocial responses to terrorism and the subsequent construction of collective macro‐social phenomena in post‐terrorist contexts.

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Crossref · 10.1111/jasp.12526

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Authors
Pelletier, P.
Affiliations
Sorbonne Paris Cité (FR)
Corresponding author
Pelletier, Petra
Venue
Journal of Applied Social Psychology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2018-08
Volume
48
Issue
9
Pages
477-487
ISSN
  • 0021-9029 (ISSN-L)
  • 1559-1816
OpenAlex
W2885218430
Cited by
18
References
62
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2
FWCI
5.12
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Journal of Applied Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
Keywords
terrorism, collective emotions, feelings, perceived security, social cohesion

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