Impact of External Shocks on Fundamental Social Motives: A Cross-Cultural Study

• In Event: Political Psychology in the Wake of Violence

Abstract

How do external shocks, like disasters or war, affect individual goals and motivations? While existing research demonstrates that external shocks can induce different coping mechanisms, we still lack a broader understanding of how such disruptive shocks impact underlying values, goals and motivations. The psychology literature identifies seven fundamental social motives: self-protection, disease avoidance, group affiliation, status, mate acquisition, mate retention, and kin care, which act as regulatory variables for preferences, attitudes and behaviors. These motivations vary across ecologies, but to what degree they are affected by external shocks has received less attention. In the face of adversity and resource scarcity, social motives can be readjusted, potentially explaining subsequent behavior changes. Utilizing measures of these motives from two survey waves in 42 countries, we match survey responses to locations of shocks such as organized violence and disasters. Our preliminary findings suggest that drought exposure is associated with higher concern over diseases and self-protection as well as lowered concern for group affiliation. The next step involves further probing potential effects from different types of armed conflict and disasters. Our study sheds light on potential pathways for resilience and coping after extreme conditions, thereby contributing to literature on social motives and post-conflict/disaster.

Authors

• Stefan Döring, Uppsala University

• Eric Skoog, PRIO