Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Theories Underlying Research in Peace Psychology

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Methodologies in Peace Psychology

Part of the book series: Peace Psychology Book Series ((PPBS,volume 26))

Abstract

This chapter defines peace psychology and gives an overview of its origins in the work of William James. It describes the classic experimental work of Milgram and Zimbardo and provides examples of applying their work to understanding contemporary issues. A number of psychological theories that attempt to explain the cognitive and emotional substrates of violence, both direct and structural, are described. The effects of violence are considered and the idea of cycles of violence is introduced. Moving beyond the prevention of violence to the positive promotion of peace, the author turns to social explanations like the contact hypothesis and findings from social psychology about the behavior of people in groups. A number of these findings can be applied to understanding nonviolent campaigns, social movements, and to wider processes in society, such as reconciliation. As well as giving a broad overview of theories and issues that have been researched by peace psychologists, the chapter raises a number of questions that deserve further investigation. Although the main objective of the chapter is to introduce theories underlying research, there is a strong link to real-life applications. This is consistent with the aim of peace psychology, which is not just to conceptualize and understand the root causes of violence but also to actively work to apply that knowledge to the prevention of violence and the promotion of peace.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Allport, G. W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Cambridge: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Al Ramiah, A., & Hewstone, M. (2013). Intergroup contact as a tool for reducing, resolving, and preventing intergroup conflict: Evidence, limitations, and potential. American Psychologist, 68(7), 527–542. doi:10.1037/a0032603.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Archer, D. (1984). Violence and crime in cross-national perspective. New Haven: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A., Barbanelli, C., Caprara, G. V., & Pastorelli, C. (1996). Mechanisms of moral disengagement in the exercise of moral agency. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 364–374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bar-Tal, D., & Hammack, P. L. (2012). Conflict, deligitimization, and violence. In L. R. Tropp (Ed.), The oxford handbook of intergroup conflict (pp. 29–52). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bilali, R., & Ross, M. A. (2012). Remembering intergroup conflict. In L. R. Tropp (Ed.), The oxford handbook of intergroup conflict (pp. 123–135). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blass, T. (2000). Obedience to authority: Current perspectives on the Milgram paradigm. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bosch, J. A., DeGeus, E. J., Kelder, A., Veerman, E. C., Hoogstraten, J., & Amerongen, A. V. (2001). Differential effects of active vs. passive coping on secretory immunity. Psychophysiology, 38, 836–846.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bretherton, D., & Bornstein, J. (2003). The qualities of peacemakers. In W. J. Pammer, & J. Killian Jr. (Eds.), Conflict management handbook (pp. 33–48). New York: Marcel Dekker.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brennan, W. (1995). Dehumanizing the vulnerable: When word games take lives. Chicago: Loyola University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bushman, B. J., Baumeister, R. F., & Stack, A. D. (1999). Catharsis, aggression, and persuasive influence: Self-fulfilling or self-defeating prophecies? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 367–376.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cohrs, C. J. (2012). Ideological bases of violent conflict. In L. R. Tropp (Ed.), The oxford handbook of intergroup conflict (pp. 53–71). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conway, L. G., Suedfeld, P., & Tetlock, P. E. (2001). Integrative complexity and political decisions that lead to war or peace. In D. J. Christie, R. V. Wagner, & D. D. Winter (Eds.), Peace, conflict, and violence: Peace psychology for the 21st century. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deutsch, M., & Coleman, P. T. (2012). The psychological components of a sustainable peace: An introduction. In P. T. Coleman (Ed.). The psychological components of a sustainable peace (pp. 1–14). New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Deutsch, M., Coleman, P. T., & Marcus, E. C. (Eds.). (2006). The handbook of conflict resolution: Theory and practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dollard, J., Doob, L. W., Miller, N. E., Mowrer, O. H., & Sears, R. R. (1939). Frustration and aggression. New Haven: Yale University Freer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Follett, M. P. (1924). Creative experience. New York: Longmans Green.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forbes, H. D. (1997). Ethnic conflict: Commerce, culture, and the contact hypothesis. New Haven: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galtung, J. (1969). Violence, peace, and peace research. Journal of Peace Research, 6, 167–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geen, R. G., & Quanty, M. C. (1977). The catharsis of aggression: An evaluation of a hypothesis. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 10, p. 1037). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, D. P., Glaser, J., & Rich, A. (1998). From lynching to gay bashing: The elusive connection between economic conditions and hate crime. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 82–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hammack, P. (2010). Narrative and the politics of identity: The cultural psychology of Israeli and Palestinian youth. Oxford: University Press Scholarship.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Haney, C., & Zimbardo, P. (1998). The past and future of U.S. prison policy: Twenty-five years after the Stanford prison experiment. American Psychologist, 53(7), 709–727.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haslam, N. (2006). Dehumanisation: An integrative review. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 10(3), 252–264.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haslam, N. (2015). Dehumanization and intergroup relations. In M. Mikulincer & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), APA handbook of personality and social psychology: Vol. 2: Interpersonal relations and group processes (pp. 295–314). Washington: APA Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Haslam, N., & Loughnan, S. (2012). Dehumanization and prejudice. In J. Dixon & M. Levine (Eds.), Beyond prejudice (pp. 89–104). London: Psychology Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hovland, C. I., & Sears, R. R. (1940). Minor studies of aggression: correlations of lynchings with economic indices. Journal of Psychology, 9, 301–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • James, W. (1910/1971). The moral equivalent of war, and other essays; and selections from some problems of philosophy. New York: Harper & Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janis, I. L. (1972). Victims of groupthink: A psychological study of foreign-policy decisions and fiascoes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Tjosvold, D. (2012). Effective cooperation, the foundation of sustainable peace. In P. T. Coleman (Ed.), The psychological components of a sustainable peace (pp. 15–53). New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kool, V. K. (2008). The psychology of nonviolence and aggression. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, M. J. (1980). The belief in a just world: A fundamental delusion. New York: Plenum Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, M. J., & Lerner, S. C. (Eds.). (1981). The justice motive in social behavior: Adapting to times of scarcity and change. New York: Plenum Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • LeShan, L. (1992). The psychology of war: Comprehending its mystique and its madness. Chicago: Noble Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lickel, B. (2012). Retribution and revenge. In L. R. Tropp (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of intergroup conflict (pp. 89–105). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacNair, R. M. (2002). Perpetration-Induced traumatic stress: The psychological consequences of killing. Westport: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacNair, R. M. (2006). Working for peace: A handbook of practical psychology and other tools. Ascadero: Impact.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacNair, R. M. (2012). The psychology of peace: An introduction. Westport: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malley-Morrison, K., Mercurio, A., & Twose, G. (Eds.). (2013). International handbook of peace and reconciliation. New York: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Mayton, D. M. (2001). Gandhi as peacebuilder: The social psychology of satyagraha. In D. J. Christie, R. V. Wagner, & D. D. Winter (Eds.), Peace, conflict, and violence: Peace psychology for the 21st century (pp. 307–313). Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayton, D. M. (2011). Nonviolence and peace psychology. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • McClelland, D. C., & Cheriff, A. D. (1997). The immunoenhancing effects of humor on secretory IgA and resistance to respiratory infections. Psychology and Health, 12, 135–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McClelland, D. C., & Krishnit, C. (1988). The effect of motivation on arousal through films on salivary immunoglobulin A. Psychology and Health, 2, 31–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKenzie-Mohr, D. (2010). Fostering sustainable behavior: An introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing. http://www.cbsm.com. Accessed 2 June 2015.

  • Nadler, A., Malloy, T., & Fisher, J. D. (Eds.). (2008). Social psychology of intergroup reconciliation: From violent conflict to peaceful co-existence. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholl, C. G. (1999). Community policing, community justice, and restorative justice: Exploring the links for the delivery of a balanced approach to public safety. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noonan, J. T. (1979). A private choice. New York: The Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • PBS Newshour. (2014, February 20). To curb conflict, a Colorado high school replaces punishment with conversation. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/new-approach-discipline-school/.

  • Pelton, L. H. (1974). The psychology of nonviolence. New York: Pergamon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pettigrew, T. F., & Tropp, L. R. (2008). How does intergroup contact reduce prejudice? Meta-analytic tests of three mediators. European Journal of Social Psychology, 38, 922–934.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramsbotham, O., Miall, H., & Woodhouse, T. (2011). Contemporary conflict resolution: the prevention, management and transformation of deadly conflicts (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Polity.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reicher, S., & Haslam, S. A. (2006). Rethinking the psychology of tyranny: The BBC prison study. British Journal of Social Psychology, 45, 1–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reicher, S., & Haslam, S. A. (2011). After shock? Towards a social identity explanation of the Milgram “obedience” studies. British Journal of Social Psychology, 50(1), 163–169. doi:10.1111/j.2044–8309.2010.02015.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rubin, Z., & Peplau, L. A. (1975). Who believes in a just world. Journal of Social Issues, 31(3), 65–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schiltz, K., Witzel, J.G., Bausch-Hölterhoff, J., & Bogerts, B. (2013). High prevalence of brain pathology in violent prisoners: a qualitative CT and MRI scan study. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 263(7), 607–616. doi:10.1007/s00406-013-0403-6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schofield, J., & Pavelchak, M. A. (1985). The day after: The impact of a media event. The American Psychologist, 40, 542–548.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharp, G. (1973). The politics of nonviolent action (Vols. 1–3). Boston: Extending Horizons Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silva, J. A., Derecho, D. V., Leong, G. B., Weinstock, R., & Ferrari, M. M. (2001). A classification of psychological factors leading to violent behavior in posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 46, 309–316.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sims, G. K., Nelson, L. L., & Puopolo, M. R. (Eds.). (2014). Personal peacefulness psychological perspectives. New York: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Southwick, S. M., Yehuda, R., & Morgan, C. A. (1995). Clinical studies of neurotransmitter alterations in post-traumatic stress disorder. In M. J. Friedman, D. S. Charney, & A. Y. Deutch (Eds.), Neurobiological and clinical consequences of stress (pp. 335–350). Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tint B. (2010). History, memory, and intractable conflict. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 27, 239–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, E. F., & Louis, W. R. (2014). When will collective action be effective? Violent and non-violent protests differentially influence perceptions of legitimacy and efficacy among sympathizers. Personality and Social Psychological Bulletin, 40, 263–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tropp, L. R. (Ed.). (2012). The Oxford handbook of intergroup conflict. Oxford library of psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Tutu, D. M. (1999). No future without forgiveness. New York: Doubleday.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations. (2006). Handbook on restorative justice programmes. New York: United Nations. https://www.unodc.org/pdf/criminal_justice/06-56290_Ebook.pdf. Accessed 2 June 2015.

    Google Scholar 

  • Warren, R., & Kurlychek, M. B. (1981). Treatment of maladaptive anger and aggression: Catharsis vs. behavior therapy. Corrective and Social Psychiatry and Journal of Behavior Technology, Methods, and Therapy, 27, 135–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whyte, G. (1998). Recasting Janis’s groupthink model: The key role of collective efficacy in decision fiascoes. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 73(2–3), 185–209. doi:10.1006/obhd.1998.2761.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. (1992). International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (10th revision). Geneva: World Health Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vallacher, R. R., Coleman, P. T., Nowak, A., & Bui-Wrzosinska, L. (2012). Why do conflicts become intractable? The dynamical perspective on malignant social relations. In L. R. Tropp (Ed.), The oxford handbook of intergroup conflict (pp. 13–28). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Kolk, B. A., Greenberg, M., Boyd, H., & Krystal, J. (1985). Inescapable shock, neurotransmitters, and addiction to trauma: Toward a psychobiology of post traumatic stress. Biological Psychiatry, 20, 314–325.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vollhardt, J. R. (2012). Collective victimization. In L. R. Tropp (Ed.), The oxford handbook of intergroup conflict (pp. 136–157). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, A., & Raine, A. (2010). Brain abnormalities and crime. In F. Cullen, P. Wilcox, & K. Schwartz (Eds.), The encyclopedia of criminological theory (pp. 105–110). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zimbardo, P. (2007). The Lucifer effect. New York: Random House.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Integrated Social Analysis, Kansas City, USA

    Rachel M. MacNair

Authors
  1. Rachel M. MacNair
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rachel M. MacNair .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia

    Diane Bretherton

  2. Victoria University, Melbournne, Victoria, Australia

    Siew Fang Law

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

MacNair, R. (2015). Theories Underlying Research in Peace Psychology. In: Bretherton, D., Law, S. (eds) Methodologies in Peace Psychology. Peace Psychology Book Series, vol 26. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18395-4_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation