Distortions in the Perceptions of International Conflicts

Abstract

Summary Two groups' (Israelis and Irish) attitudes toward each other were compared, along with the attitudes of a control group (Australians) toward both. The groups were divided according to surmised attitudes toward the conflict in their country, Jews vs Arabs and Protestants vs Catholics. Students of education (N = 153) answered open-ended questionnaires about the Northern Irish conflict (in Israel), the Middle Eastern conflict (in Ireland), or both. On the basis of political alignments and Heiderian principles of interpersonal balance it was hypothesized that Israeli Arabs would be more sympathetic toward the Irish/Catholic cause than Israeli Jews, and that Irish Catholics would be more supportive of the Arab side in the Middle Eastern conflict than Irish Protestants. The samples possessed significantly different amounts of both nominal and correct information, revealed different types of misconceptions, and expressed significantly different attitudes. Wherever the expression of an attitude would have created imbalance, evasive techniques were used, including expressions of ambivalence, neutrality, indifference, and rationalization.