Reazioni cognitive ed emotive alla guerra in Iraq: Uno studio longitudinale

The present study aims to investigate cognitive and emotional reactions to the various phases which characterized the war in Iraq. A questionnaire was administered three times: before the war, during the outbreak of the war, and after the declaration of the end of the war. 27 subjects aged between 20 and 60 years participated to all the three phases of the investigation. Results showed that war was perceived as a threatening event for personal sense of safety and social security. Independent of the war phase considered, the strongest emotions were indignation, anger, sadness, and worry. As far as the temporal development of war reactions is concerned, the declaration of the end of the war had a significant effect on the evaluation of personal and social risks and on the intensity of emotional reactions to the event. No significant differences were found between cognitive and emotional reactions measured during the outbreak of the war and those measured before. The results are discussed in the light of literature on psychological responses to disasters and theories proposed by the contemporary psychology of emotions.