Threat Perception Research Articles

The Self and the Other: Individual Emotions and Ontological Security in Turkish Foreign Policy

Emotions and ontological security open up one of the latest avenues in International Relations (IR). An increasing number of interdisciplinary approaches have been engaging in emotions and ontological security, for example, foreign policy analysis. However, academic research is scarce concerning the triangulation of emotions, foreign policy, and individual ontological security. Driven by the gap in the literature, the study analyzes how Turkey’s foreign policy decisions influence individual existentialism in terms of ontological security during the AKP era. A subsidiary question addresses how Turkey’s foreign policy decisions adjust/affect individual emotions towards its most engaged and interacted countries. Based on Ontological Security Theory (OST), the study has conducted 20 interviews. The questions cover Turkey’s foreign policy milestones: the start of the EU accession negotiations, the “one minute incident,” the Mavi Marmara incident, and the Arab Uprisings and the Syrian Civil War. The questions aim to reveal people’s emotional reactions to and descriptions of such events. The interview transcripts are analyzed in a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) context. Through CDA, the individuals’ perceptions of risk, threat, and danger are analyzed to seek the determinants of growing existential uncertainty in tandem with significant foreign policy decisions of the AKP government. This study finds that foreign policy decisions in Turkey impact individuals’ emotions based on key events. Through the case of Turkey, the study contributes to the emerging literature on emotions and ontological security by studying the dimensions between foreign policy and individual insecurities and emotions.

Altered Functional Coupling of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis and Amygdala in Spider Phobic Fear.

Background: Individuals with spider phobic (SP) fear show hypervigilance and amygdala hyperactivity toward fear-associated stimuli, which may promote the development of other anxiety disorders. The amygdala is a key region within the fear network, which is connected to the anxiety system, where the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) plays a crucial role. However, the BNST's involvement in phobic fear is unknown. Therefore, this study investigated the association of phobic fear and anxiety on these regions' functional connectivity (FC) in SP compared to healthy controls (HC). Methods: 7T-functional MRI resting-state FC of 30 individuals with SP and 45 HC was assessed to detect network differences between these groups. The association of phobic fear severity, trait anxiety, and social anxiety on FC was explored using linear regressions combined with seed-to-voxel analyses with amygdala and BNST as primary seeds, corrected for age and sex. Results: In SP, phobic fear was associated with reduced FC between the left amygdala and the right supramarginal gyrus. In contrast, anxiety severity was related to increased FC between the right BNST and the left inferior frontal gyrus. Moreover, social anxiety was related to decreased FC between bilateral BNST and left precuneus. Conclusions: These findings show changes in FC in SP, connecting fear with altered activity in the BNST and amygdala. The results suggest that persistent anxiety in phobic fear is associated with abnormal brain function in these regions, potentially explaining susceptibility to anxiety disorders and processes involved in phobic fear, such as threat perception, avoidance, and salience. Impact statement This is the first study to report altered FC mechanisms of BNST and amygdala in individuals with SP using 7T ultra-high field resting-state data. So far, only distinct characterization of brain regions, especially of BNST and amygdala, involved in those disorders exists. Our results contribute to closing this knowledge gap by providing the first evidence that deviant BNST and amygdala function in SP might elucidate the susceptibility to other anxiety disorders.

Conservatism in response to rising universalism? Linking individuals' conservation values, right‐wing attitudes, and nationalism to perceived prevalence of universalism among fellow citizens

AbstractIncreased openness and tolerance have marked the twenty‐first century, yet recent years witnessed a decline marked by nationalist movements and reduced support for diversity. We explore the potential link between these two societal changes by examining the association between the perception of universalism values in society and the endorsement of conservation values, right‐wing political attitudes, and nationalism in Poland. Across six correlational studies (total N = 2644), perception of the prevalence of universalism values in fellow citizens was positively linked to one's endorsement of conservation values, right‐wing political attitudes, and nationalism. These links were (a) stronger when participants believed that a considerable part of society still supported conservation values and (b) underlined by a greater perception of the threat posed by universalism values to the traditional way of living. The experimental results (N = 307) did not support causal link between these links but only the underlying role of perceiving a threat from universalism to society, particularly when participants perceived high universalism and conservation values in others. However, this effect was observed only when controlling for one's endorsement of conservation values and the perception of threat from conservation values.

Beyond the great firewall: EU and US responses to the China challenge in the global digital economy

ABSTRACT China’s Great Firewall was designed to control information flows to keep citizens in and the wider world out. Consequently, until recently China’s economic ascendancy was not mirrored in the global digital economy. However, China’s increasing digital footprint and championing of national technology firms present numerous economic and security challenges for the EU and US as the dominant digital powers. This paper investigates how growing perceptions of China-based threats in the digital domain have shaped EU (including Member State-level) and US policies. Two pertinent cases – Huawei (hardware provider) and TikTok (digital platform) – illustrate how threat perceptions have catalysed securitization moves to restrict Chinese firms’ roles within national digital economies. Western policymakers are increasingly concerned about China’s capacity to weaponize technologically interdependent relationships by exploiting its firms’ presence within Western networks. Yet significant differences between EU Member States’ perceptions precluded both a uniform EU-level response and more extensive transatlantic cooperation.

The Changing Dynamics of China's Threat Perception toward India: A Shift from Asymmetry to Symmetry?

executive summary: This article studies Chinese literature on China's threat perception of India and argues that the threat perception between the two rising powers is growing more symmetric in the current dynamics of international politics. main argument The India-China relationship has major implications for how world politics are shaped, yet how China perceives a sense of threat from India is an understudied phenomenon. Whereas most literature on this relationship has observed an asymmetric threat perception between the two states, with India identifying a greater threat from China than the other way around, the dynamics of international politics are causing China to become more cautious about its security and take notice of a greater threat coming from India. As a result, the level of threat perception is becoming more balanced. This shift in perception will have major implications for the overall dynamics of bilateral relations and make the relationship more confrontational and conflictual. policy implications • India's fast-growing economy, demographic dividend, geographic position, and growing strategic partnerships have made it a more confident and assertive foreign policy actor. Chinese scholars have taken note of these changes. • India's assertive border policy and partnership with the U.S. pose a growing challenge to China's power. This will make Beijing wary about actions that it previously overlooked due the asymmetry in the relationship. At the same time, because for India any Chinese action is presumed as threatening, China's growing wariness will further enhance India's threat perception. This emerging dynamic could instigate a spiral of competition. • Confrontation in Sino-Indian relations will further strengthen U.S.-Indian relations and move India closer to the U.S. camp. • With both India and China being rising powers, their relationship will have major geopolitical implications for how the Asian century will play out.

'They are conspiring against us': How outgroup conspiracy theories stimulate environmental neglect in intergroup resource dilemmas.

Natural resources are limited, and people often share these limited resources in groups, which creates an intergroup resource dilemma. To understand individuals' sustainable behaviours in intergroup resource dilemmas in the context of group interactions, the present research systematically investigates the effect of outgroup conspiracy theories on sustainable behaviours and preliminarily explores the internal mechanism underlying this effect. First, a survey study (Study 1) relying on real-world intergroup relations first confirmed the negative correlation between outgroup conspiracy beliefs and sustainable intentions in intergroup resource dilemmas. Then, an online experimental study that utilized the real situation of a region in China (Study 2) tested the causal relationship between exposure to an outgroup conspiracy theory and sustainable intentions, as well as showing the mediating role of intergroup threat perception underlying this relationship. Finally, a preregistered experimental laboratory study (Study 3) further verified the causal effect of exposure to an outgroup conspiracy theory on sustainable behaviours, again confirming the mediating role of intergroup threat perception. In general, our research demonstrates that exposure to an outgroup conspiracy theory stimulates individuals' environmental neglect and reduces their sustainable behaviours by increasing their perceptions of intergroup threat when faced with intergroup resource dilemmas.

War in Nagorno-Karabakh Shakes Armenian-Turkish Relations

Turkish support for Azerbaijan in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war has renewed long-dormant Armenian perceptions of a neighboring threat. Turkey provided direct military support that helped its ally reconquer the ethnic Armenian exclave, leading to the forced exodus of most inhabitants after a final defeat in 2023. Continuing open hostilities stalled efforts to normalize Armenian–Turkish relations and reopen the border following the 2020 war. For Armenians both in Armenia and in the diaspora, including those living in Turkey, the war prompted comparisons to the 1915 Armenian Genocide and perceptions that a historical enemy was once again actively aggressive in a region that had long been considered part of Moscow’s sphere of influence.

Applying the Health Belief Model to mobile device distracted driving

Introduction: The advancement of mobile devices has resulted in constant connectivity, but at the expense of traffic safety. The goal of this study was to apply the Health Belief Model to understand the barriers preventing drivers from driving without manipulating their devices, and what they perceived would motivate them to stop driving distracted. Methods: We conducted a nationwide survey of 2,013 U.S. licensed drivers. Participants indicated how much they agreed with or supported 63 statements and concepts pertaining to the Health Belief Model constructs of threats, barriers, benefits, and cues to action related to manipulating devices while driving. Heath Belief Model constructs were compared between distracted drivers, or those who regularly did (during most or all drives in the previous 30 days) one or more mobile device tasks, and non-distracted drivers. Logistic regression evaluated the relationship between Health Belief Model constructs and distracted driver designation. Results: Those who agreed more with threats (odds ratio [OR], 1.61; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.27, 2.04) and disagreed more with barriers to stopping (OR, 0.36; 95 % CI, 0.31, 0.41) were more likely to not drive distracted. We identified distracted drivers’ top barriers to avoiding cellphone distractions, as well as barrier categories that were significantly greater for distracted drivers than non-distracted drivers. Distracted drivers felt most strongly that intrapersonal, interpersonal, and policy cues would motivate behavior termination, and more support of technological countermeasures was associated with regularly driving distracted after controlling for support for policy and organizational countermeasures. Conclusions: Simultaneously increasing threat perceptions, targeting the top barriers identified, and implementing policy-, interpersonal-, and technological-based countermeasures may encourage device-free driving. Practical Applications: When designing interventions or programs, state highway safety offices should find new ways to increase threat perceptions and offer solutions to the barriers most cited by distracted drivers.

Decoding the apple paradox: a critical discourse analysis of gender, technology, and nationalism in China’s digital space

This research explores the intricate nexus of gender, technology, nationalism, and misogyny within the context of China’s digital realm. Positioned against the backdrop of an internet celebrity’s accusation towards Apple, the study critically examines a uniquely crafted narrative that adds socio-cultural dimensions to Apple’s perceived network misrepresentations. Female iPhone users are strategically criticized as intellectually inferior influencers of societal contributions, reflecting prevalent discussions regarding 5G technology. The narrative further stigmatizes female iPhone users with implications of involvement in sex work, leading to significant brand implications. Rooted in the framework of Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA) and assisted with the approach of corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis (CADA), this study deciphers the complex narrative, focusing on themes of cyber misogyny, economic stratification, and nationalism. The research further reveals how this criticism toward female iPhone users extends beyond mere resentment, unveiling deeper foundations of nationalism and threat perceptions toward traditional phallocentric dominance. The term “traitors” allocated to female iPhone users rationalizes the ongoing assaults as patriotic endeavors, bellwethering toxic nationalism that marginalizes minoritized individuals. This scholarly examination underscores social media platforms, with a focus on Douyin, as potent venues for reinforcing gender bias, particularly through their algorithmic recommendations, content moderation practices, and governance models. This delineation emphasizes the critical need for ongoing sociocultural and digital discourse to challenge and mitigate these dominant, biased narratives.

Zagrożenia dezinformacyjne w ocenie studentów Akademii Sztuki Wojennej

The aim of the article is to characterize disinformation as a contemporary threat to state structures, societies, individual people. Disinformation campaigns are observed in many countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In recent years, social media have become a convenient instrument for transmitting disinformation. It constitutes a threat for countries and societies. The author also presented the results of social research conducted among students of the War Studies University in Warsaw. The research was intended to present the public perception of disinformation threats and resistance to these activities.

The Role of Choice and Descriptive Norms in Attenuating Reactance to BPA Risk Messages: A Conceptual Replication

ABSTRACT The current study examined behavioral recommendations to reduce Bisphenol A (BPA) exposure through the lens of psychological reactance theory. This study conceptually replicated previous work by [Reynolds-Tylus, T., Martinez Gonzalez, A., & Quick, B. L. (2019). The role of choice clustering and descriptive norms in attenuating psychological reactance to water and energy conservation messages. Environmental Communication, 13(7), 847–863. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2018.1461672)] by examining two antecedents to psychological reactance: choice and descriptive norms. Participants (N = 607) were randomly assigned to one of five message conditions in a 2 (choice: choice, no choice) X 2 (descriptive norm: high vs. low) factorial design with a no message control. Results indicated that messages providing choice (vs. no choice) within a cluster of environmental health behaviors decreased freedom threat perceptions. As expected, reactance was negatively associated with intention to reduce BPA exposure. Descriptive norm (high vs. low) was unrelated to freedom threat but indirectly influenced behavioral intention to reduce BPA exposure as mediated through perceived descriptive norm. Our results speak to the importance of replication in communication research and provide evidence-based message design advice for environmental health campaigns. Findings are discussed in terms of the theoretical and practical contributions of the current study.

The Impact of Pain, Threat Perception and Emotional Distress on Suicide Risk in Individuals with Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) can significantly impact mental health, increasing suicide risk. Variables such as pain and threat perception may be crucial. This study aims to identify predictors of suicide risk in individuals with CRC. A total of 71 participants (76.06% men) aged 27 to 88 years (M = 65.18, SD = 12.02) were assessed using the SF-36 for pain, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ) for threat perception, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for emotional distress, and the Plutchik suicide risk scale for suicide risk. Descriptive, comparative, and correlational analyses were performed, followed by a linear regression analysis. Nearly 20% of participants exhibited high suicide risk. There was a moderate-to-high association between suicide risk and the perception of threat, pain, and emotional distress. The linear regression model explained 39% of the variance in suicide risk, with threat perception, pain, and emotional distress as significant predictors. These results indicate the need for multidisciplinary care for individuals with CRC, including emotional support from health psychologists, and holistic, human-centered care from nursing and medical professionals. Future research is necessary to further explore these relationships and improve patient care strategies.

American partisans vastly under-estimate the diversity of other partisans’ policy attitudes

Abstract A popular explanation for America's democratic ills is that Republicans and Democrats misperceive one another to hold extreme attitudes. However, Americans may also misperceive the diversity of partisans’ attitudes to ill effect. This paper uses surveys and pre-registered experiments with representative and convenience samples (n = 9405) to validate a measure of perceived attitude extremity and diversity and compare it to canonical measures of perceived polarization. We find that American partisans vastly under-estimate the diversity of each party's attitudes. Yet, contrary to existing research, we see little evidence that partisans over-estimate how extreme the “average” Republican or Democrat is. Finally, perceptions of both the “average” partisan and within-party attitude diversity predict partisan animosity and perceptions of out-party threat.

Anxious But Hesitant to Act: The Impact of Concurrent Priming of the Climate Crisis and the War in Ukraine on Public Support

Abstract Decision-makers and commentators are calling Europe’s present political predicament a polycrisis: a period of overlapping, urgent, and mutually reinforcing crises with climate change and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as key challenges. Our knowledge about how citizens perceive and respond to polycrisis is limited. This paper presents a preregistered survey experiment from Denmark with 4,017 nationally representative respondents. We study crisis perceptions and willingness to act for the climate and Ukraine after concurrently priming both issues. Overall, threat perceptions increase, but so does inaction. Climate change drives increases in threat perception and worry, while the war in Ukraine drives a reduction in willingness to act and pay. The results challenge the “finite pool of worry” hypothesis, which presupposes that worry about new, urgent threats will crowd out worry about existing problems, especially in the case of climate change. Rather, willingness to act under polycrisis is issue-specific and shaped by concrete pocketbook costs, as the experimental evidence illustrates. The results also have important policy implications at a time when decision-makers frequently justify political action through polycrisis discourse.

Political intolerance in comprehensive welfare states: Evidence from Sweden

AbstractPrevious research has shown that comprehensive welfare states are effective at bridging ethnic divisions and promoting political tolerance of marginalized groups. Do these results hold up in the face of the great influx of migrants into European welfare states following the 2015–16 refugee crisis? In this case study of Sweden, we map the general level of political tolerance and test various individual‐level explanations for it. Based on a survey of about 3500 citizens, our results show that the level of ethnic antipathy in Sweden is low. Other groups, however—such as supporters of the Sweden Democrats, a radical‐right party—are widely disliked, as are abortion opponents and anti‐vaccinationists. The individual‐level explanations we have tested—in connection with threat perceptions, civic and political engagement, and socio‐economic factors—turn up mixed results. Our conclusion is that the results we have found reflect something of a liberal‐democratic backlash, whereupon a certain kind of political intolerance has become widespread.

Threat perceptions in use of e-wallet in customer’s purchase intention: with extended UTAUT2 model

This study uses the extended UTAUT2 model to examine how threat perceptions affect Indian consumer e-wallet purchasing intentions. Performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, perceived uncertainty, trust, and service quality are examined. This empirical study used random sampling and a standardized 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. of 300 surveys, 280 were returned by active e-wallet customers. Correlation and regression were performed in SPSS 20 and Excel. Threat perception strongly influences e-wallet use, according to the study. Perceived uncertainty, trust, facilitating conditions, and service quality affect threat perception. E-wallet adoption intentions are indirectly affected by performance, effort, and social influence. This study emphasizes the necessity of resolving threat perceptions to boost e-wallet consumer confidence. Developers and service providers should reduce perceived risks to increase purchase intent and user adoption. Future research should use comprehensive models like UTAUT2 to examine these aspects. Time constraints and a small sample size don't properly represent India's diversity, thus the study only examines perceived e-wallet risk. To better understand e-wallet adoption trends, larger samples should be used in future studies.

An integrated threat theory analysis of latent tension between native Indonesians and Chinese Indonesians

ABSTRACT The relationship between Chinese Indonesians and native Indonesians (Pribumi) is marred by tensions and violence. The Dutch colonial legacies have positioned Chinese Indonesians as perpetual outsiders, making them constantly question their roles and identity in the process of Indonesian nation-building. Despite their centuries-old presence and Indonesia’s almost three decades of reform, prejudice towards Chinese Indonesians persists. This was reflected in the 2017 Indonesia National Survey Project, suggesting native Indonesians still perceive their Chinese Indonesian counterparts as an economically privileged group, greedy, selfish, and exclusive. Using integrated threat theory, this study explores the link between the perception of threats and prejudice towards Chinese Indonesians. Using multiple regression analysis, this study found stereotypes, realistic threats, history of intergroup conflicts, and age are strong predictors of prejudice towards the ethnic Chinese in Indonesia. Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications for integrated threat and prejudice are discussed.

Cutting in line ahead of us: the role of group relative deprivation in shaping gatekeeping attitudes across different immigrant integration contexts in Europe

ABSTRACT Although research shows that anti-immigrant sentiments are generally lower in liberal integration policy contexts, popular backlash against immigrants become salient in many pro-immigration and inclusive integration policy contexts in Europe today. Developing a contextualized mediation model, this research suggests that feelings of deprivation vis-à-vis immigrants influence attitudes toward selective immigrant admission in Europe. From a cross-country analysis of the 2014–2015 European Social Survey through multigroup structural equation modeling, our findings reveal that sentiments of group relative deprivation translate into stronger gatekeeping attitudes throughout Europe by developing threat perceptions from immigration. Relative deprivation-driven threat perceptions influence gatekeeping attitudes more potently in countries where integration policies grant immigrants more comprehensive and equal rights, while they remain relatively dormant in countries with exclusionary integration policies. These findings contribute to our understanding of how and to what extent relative deprivation sentiments vis-à-vis immigrants shape gatekeeping attitudes while shedding light on the unintended impacts of liberal integration policies on public opinion regarding immigration.

Longitudinal evaluation of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the United States: analysis of the US Census Household Pulse survey

Addressing the challenge of vaccine hesitancy is crucial in managing public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. This study leverages the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey to examine COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, with a specific focus on the longitudinal tracking of vaccination beliefs and the influence of varying risk perceptions. It investigates how public attitudes towards vaccines evolve, influenced by changing perceptions of COVID-19 risk and vaccine safety. By applying Secondary Risk Theory (SRT), the research elucidates the relationship between different risk perceptions and vaccine hesitancy. We find that threat perception of COVID-19 and lack of trust in the vaccine demonstrate strong predictive value of increased vaccine hesitancy in comparison to other reasons for hesitancy such as access to vaccines, vaccine efficacy beliefs, or perceived secondary risks about vaccine side effects. Respondents with very low primary threat beliefs that COVID-19 is not a threat were 5.65 times more likely (β = 1.732) to intend not to be vaccinated in January 2021, decreasing to 2.70 times more likely to avoid vaccination (β = 0.995) in the December 2021.

Forum: Towards a European Nuclear Deterrent

America’s potential strategic disengagement from Europe is leading key European powers – in particular, France, the United Kingdom and Germany – to reconsider the role of nuclear weapons in European security in the absence of extended US nuclear deterrence. Here leading French, British and German analysts offer anticipatory assessments of their countries’ national perceptions, policies and preferences with respect to formulating a common European approach. They discuss, respectively, France’s tentative overture to its European allies, Britain’s willingness against broad constraints, and the tension between Germany’s entrenched caution and its rising threat perceptions. While there are options that could produce a viable European nuclear deterrent, they would require a degree of national flexibility and European financial support that is currently difficult to imagine. This reality check should give European nuclear hawks pause.