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War Cues and Foreign Policy Acts

Author

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  • Beer, Francis A.
  • Healy, Alice F.
  • Sinclair, Grant P.
  • Bourne, Lyle E.

Abstract

Cognitive psychological theory and research suggest that specific actions are primed or potentiated by prior related cues. Thus violent cues should influence subsequent conflictual action choices. Laboratory subjects were given one of two written vignettes recalling either the slaughter of World War I or Allied weakness before World War II. A control group received no vignette. Subjects were then asked to specify foreign-policy choices from an inventory of possible cooperative-conflictual acts, relevant to a dispute between two fictional countries, in five sequential rounds. Both war vignettes produced more subsequent conflictual choices for subjects with dominant (i.e., aggressive) personality traits, and less conflictual choices for subjects with submissive personality traits. The findings suggest that priming activates underlying personality predispositions that enhance cooperative or conflictual action choices. The results also point to the potential importance of prior cues in shaping foreign-policy decision makers' and mass-public responses to international events.

Suggested Citation

  • Beer, Francis A. & Healy, Alice F. & Sinclair, Grant P. & Bourne, Lyle E., 1987. "War Cues and Foreign Policy Acts," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 81(3), pages 701-715, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:apsrev:v:81:y:1987:i:03:p:701-715_20
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    Cited by:

    1. Eben J. Christensen & Steven B. Redd, 2004. "Bureaucrats Versus the Ballot Box in Foreign Policy Decision Making," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 48(1), pages 69-90, February.
    2. Cheryl Koopman & Jack Snyder & Robert Jervis, 1990. "Theory-Driven versus Data-Driven Assessment in a Crisis," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 34(4), pages 694-722, December.
    3. Satoshi Kanazawa, 1999. "Using Laboratory Experiments To Test Theories Of Corporate Behavior," Rationality and Society, , vol. 11(4), pages 443-461, November.
    4. Steven B. Redd, 2002. "The Influence of Advisers on Foreign Policy Decision Making," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 46(3), pages 335-364, June.

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