Divergent Reactions to the Terror of Terrorism: Personal Need for Structure Moderates the Effects of Terrorism Salience on Worldview-Related Attitudinal Rigidity
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The current studies explore how individual differences in personal need for structure (PNS) influence the extent to which people respond to terrorism threats with cultural worldview-related attitudinal rigidity. PNS was measured, terrorism salience manipulated, and British participants' attitudes toward an essay arguing against the British adoption of the Euro (Study 1) or American participants' attitudes toward an essay arguing for a nontraditional approach to the Thanksgiving meal (Study 2) were assessed. Terrorism salience, relative to a control condition, increased liking of the anti-Euro position and decreased liking for a nontraditional approach to Thanksgiving for those high in PNS. The reverse pattern was found for those low in PNS. Theoretical and applied implications are considered. Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.