Abstract
ABSTRACT The distinctive nature and complexity of judging terrorist acts include collective, political, and social dimensions that should be taken into account. The present study examines how participants from the general public in France perceived the perpetrator of a terrorist act, varying in ethnicity (North African vs. French) and gender (male vs. female). Based on a scenario describing an attempted terrorist attack and the offender, participants indicated their perceptions about the act and the perpetrator (content of stereotypes, emotions, behavioral responses, degree of agreement, perceived threat, severity of the sentence). The participants’ ideological orientation was also measured. Results revealed that participants judged the North African man more harshly than the other profiles. The impact of stereotypes on their judgments and perceptions was only partially observed. But generally, the presentation of a North African vs. a French offender seems to activate the effect of participants’ social dominance preferences on their judgments. In this study, the perception of individuals committing terrorist acts appears complex, and the results are discussed in relation to the existing literature.
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