Videos about resolving long-standing conflicts made people soften their attitudes, increasing their openness towards the other side
How is it possible to compromise between parties who are in conflict, who tend to fortify their positions and hold beliefs that increase the differences between them? This is a question that is studied in the field of conflict research, part of the science of social psychology.
Dr. Boaz HaMeiri and Dr. Nimrod Rosler from the School of Social and Policy Studies and Prof. Daniel Bar-Tal from the School of Education at Tel Aviv University, and Dr. Keren Sharvit from the School of Psychological Sciences and the Peace Studies and Conflict Management Program at the University of Haifa, research intergroup conflicts, And especially persistent and uncontrollable conflicts, which last for many years (over a generation) and include violence. The main example of this is of course the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The collaboration between them began as part of a doctorate done by Dr. HaMeiri, Dr. Rosler and Dr. Sharvit under Prof. Bar-Tal - one of the leading researchers in conflict research.
Four steps for establishing conflict resolution interventions
The theory developed by the researchers is divided into four stages through which interventions to resolve conflicts can be established: the first stage describes the reasons for the development of attitudes (narratives), which satisfy the psychological needs of the parties in the conflict; They are in a difficult situation that causes fear and anxiety, so they are looking for an explanation and a meaning that will help them interpret it. This is how they develop, for example, the concept of righteousness ("this is the right and moral thing to do") or a concept of victimhood ("we are the injured party and need to protect ourselves"). The second stage describes the situation as normal and natural, one that occurs in other companies, which gives legitimacy to the thoughts and feelings of the parties and reduces the sense of threat. In the third stage, the positions of the parties become barriers. This happens when an opportunity for peace appears and therefore they exact a heavy toll from society. In the fourth stage, the researchers propose to fulfill the psychological needs of the parties (which were mentioned in the first explanation) with narratives that can end the conflict. For example, you can explain to them that other conflicts ended peacefully after the parties changed their positions.
The four stages are divided into two general categories: the first two stages represent acceptance - legitimization of the feelings of the parties aimed at reducing barriers, and the other two stages represent possible change.
The main finding that emerges from the research of the researchers and from other studies in the field is the perceptual change of parties in a conflict from the mere exposure to conflict research. "This exposure makes people interested, get more information about the other side in the conflict, and thus open up to him and be more conciliatory. Their positions are thawing and they are ready to reconsider them," explains Dr. Hamayri.
In their latest series of studies, which won a grant from the National Science Foundation, the researchers, together with the advertiser Romem Saranga, created videos (sort of commercials) about 40 seconds long each dealing with a narrative related to a persistent conflict and trying to undermine it. For example, in one video we initially only see a pair of eyes and in the background subtitles run in which sentences delegitimize the other side, his denunciation and the explanation of the need for self-defense, and the sound of war cries. This creates a feeling as if it is the familiar, Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But then the picture opens and you see a person who belongs to another conflict, for example from Northern Ireland or Algeria. At the end, the narrator tells briefly about that conflict and how it ended and notes that "it is also possible otherwise".
In one video, we initially only see a pair of eyes and in the background subtitles run in which sentences delegitimize the other side, his denunciation and the explanation of the need for self-defense, and the sound of the sounds of war. This creates a feeling as if it is the familiar, Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But then the picture opens and you see a person who belongs to another conflict.
The researchers examined subjects who signed up for the study through internet survey companies and divided them into an experimental group (subjects who watched two videos - about two different conflicts) and a control group (subjects who watched two generic TV commercials). After watching the videos or commercials, the subjects were asked to answer a questionnaire that examines their feelings after watching, their desire to re-evaluate their perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a reconciliation of positions, and their willingness to meet with people who have different positions than their own (e.g. Palestinians), listen to them and support negotiations.
Consistently, it was found that in the experimental group there was an increase in the reconciliation of attitudes, a desire to receive new information about the other side and to listen to it, and a willingness to support negotiations to resolve the conflict peacefully. According to Dr. Hamayri, "The subjects of the experimental group watched two videos - that is, a minute and a half that changed their attitude towards the other party and increased conciliation. However, we did not test the effects of the videos over time. It may be that in a few days, or months, the subjects' position will return to normal. Therefore, in the future we are interested in testing additional interventions for conflict resolution, such as a TED talk that will be more in-depth than the videos and can have a longer-term impact. The videos are a type of initial intervention - a good way to capture attention and reach the masses, for example as an advertisement on YouTube, thus promoting social change and conflict resolution."
Life itself:
- Dr. Boaz Ha'Meiri, 39, married, lives in Tel Aviv. likes to play sports and watch them. Boaz the Airi
- Dr. Nimrod Rosler, 44, lives in Ramat Gan. Plays the violin for fun, served as an outstanding musician and taught music in schools in his youth. Nimrod Rosler
- Dr. Karen Sharvit, 48, married + 1, lives in Zichron Yaakov. ,
- Prof. Daniel Bar-Tal, 77, married + four, lives in Herzliya.
Prof. Bar-Tal is Professor Emeritus at the School of Education at Tel Aviv University. Specializes in researching psychological aspects of intractable ethnic conflicts and peace processes and also in the development of political understanding among children and peace education. Wrote and edited more than 20 books and published more than 250 articles in leading journals and book chapters. He was the president of the International Society for Political Psychology and won international awards for his scientific work. Lover of photography, cinema and theater.
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