Differences and Similarities in Characterizing Terrorists: A Comparison of American and Russian Samples After 9/11

Abstract

Eighty-three Russian and 185 American students were given a political opinion survey addressing terrorism (Takooshian & Verdi, 1995) and a questionnaire that specifically addressed the terrorist attacks ofSeptember 11th in order to examine attributions made about terrorists shortly after a terrorist attack. The results indicate that both Russians and Americans believe that terrorism should be eliminated and that innocent people should be protected in the process. However, Russians were more likely to make disopositional attributions about terrorists while Americans were more likely to make situational attributions. The results are discussed in regard to social-historical factors and recent political events.