Emotions expressed in speeches by leaders of ideologically motivated groups predict aggression

Abstract

Anger, contempt, and disgust are emotions associated with violations of ethics and morality, and recent theoretical work has suggested that they are important drivers of group-based aggression and violence. We test this hypothesis by examining the emotions expressed by leaders of ideologically motivated groups when speaking about outgroups they oppose. We analyzed the content of their speeches at three points in time before an identified act of aggression or resistance. We provide initial evidence that leaders' expressions of anger, contempt, and disgust increase immediately before acts of violence, but not those of resistance, and suggest that these emotions are instrumental in inciting groups to commit violence.

Keywords:

• emotion
• aggression
• violence
• intergroup relations

Notes on Contributors

David Matsumoto is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Culture and Emotion Research Laboratory at San Francisco State University, where he has been since 1989. He is also Director of Humintell, LLC, a company that provides research, consultation, and training on non-verbal behavioral analysis and cross-cultural adaptation. He has studied culture, emotion, social interaction, and communication for over 30 years and has worked extensively with government law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Hyisung C. Hwang is Research Scientist at Humintell and Assistant Adjunct Faculty at San Francisco State University. Her research interests are in emotion, non-verbal behaviors, and culture. She is an expert in the conduct of research examining facial expressions and other non-verbal behaviors and has authored or co-authored numerous scientific articles and book chapters on non-verbal behavior, facial expressions, and culture.

Mark G. Frank, Ph.D., is a professor and director of the Communication Science Center at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. His research interests are in emotion and deception, and he has worked or consulted extensively with government law enforcement and intelligence agencies in counter-terrorism-related activities.