How civilian casualty information shapes support for US involvement in an ally country’s war effort
Abstract War is often described as “heart-wrenching,” but how do portrayals of conflict influence public support for US involvement when it is not directly engaged? This paper examines how information about civilian casualties and infrastructural damage, commonly found in media coverage, shapes publ...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Nature
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-04191-y |
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| author | Alon P. Kraitzman Tom W. Etienne Dolores Albarracin |
| author_facet | Alon P. Kraitzman Tom W. Etienne Dolores Albarracin |
| author_sort | Alon P. Kraitzman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract War is often described as “heart-wrenching,” but how do portrayals of conflict influence public support for US involvement when it is not directly engaged? This paper examines how information about civilian casualties and infrastructural damage, commonly found in media coverage, shapes public opinion on whether the US should provide military, diplomatic, and economic aid to foreign nations. Using a longitudinal survey of a probability sample of Americans and four experiments (three preregistered and two with nationally representative samples), we analyze both the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia and hypothetical conflicts involving a US ally and a US adversary. Findings indicate that information about civilian harm significantly increases public support for US involvement, with empathy mediating this effect-but only when the casualties are civilians from an ally, not an adversary, country. The theoretical and applied implications of these important and timely findings are discussed. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d3d049aed6134d6987f04d441b81cc93 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-d3d049aed6134d6987f04d441b81cc932025-01-12T12:12:02ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922025-01-0112111410.1057/s41599-024-04191-yHow civilian casualty information shapes support for US involvement in an ally country’s war effortAlon P. Kraitzman0Tom W. Etienne1Dolores Albarracin2University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaAbstract War is often described as “heart-wrenching,” but how do portrayals of conflict influence public support for US involvement when it is not directly engaged? This paper examines how information about civilian casualties and infrastructural damage, commonly found in media coverage, shapes public opinion on whether the US should provide military, diplomatic, and economic aid to foreign nations. Using a longitudinal survey of a probability sample of Americans and four experiments (three preregistered and two with nationally representative samples), we analyze both the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia and hypothetical conflicts involving a US ally and a US adversary. Findings indicate that information about civilian harm significantly increases public support for US involvement, with empathy mediating this effect-but only when the casualties are civilians from an ally, not an adversary, country. The theoretical and applied implications of these important and timely findings are discussed.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-04191-y |
| spellingShingle | Alon P. Kraitzman Tom W. Etienne Dolores Albarracin How civilian casualty information shapes support for US involvement in an ally country’s war effort Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | How civilian casualty information shapes support for US involvement in an ally country’s war effort |
| title_full | How civilian casualty information shapes support for US involvement in an ally country’s war effort |
| title_fullStr | How civilian casualty information shapes support for US involvement in an ally country’s war effort |
| title_full_unstemmed | How civilian casualty information shapes support for US involvement in an ally country’s war effort |
| title_short | How civilian casualty information shapes support for US involvement in an ally country’s war effort |
| title_sort | how civilian casualty information shapes support for us involvement in an ally country s war effort |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-04191-y |
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