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Psychology

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Edith Cowan University

Theses/Dissertations

Threat (Psychology)

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Terrorism In Australia: Myth Or Reality? A Psychometric Study Into The Western Australian Public's Perception Of Terrorism, Richard Sargent Jan 2010

Terrorism In Australia: Myth Or Reality? A Psychometric Study Into The Western Australian Public's Perception Of Terrorism, Richard Sargent

Theses : Honours

Terrorism is not a new concept as terrorist individuals and organisations since time immemorial have used the threat of violence or actual violence to generate fear in individuals, organisations and governments alike. Fear is a powerful weapon and it is used in order to gain political, ideological or religious objectives. The attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on the 11th September 2001 (9/11) highlighted the dangers of the inadequate intelligence, border security and immigration practices that led to this event. The attacks were a security wake up call not only for the United States of America but …


The Role Of Perceived Threat In Anglo-Australian Attitudes To International Students, Katarzyna Koska Jan 2010

The Role Of Perceived Threat In Anglo-Australian Attitudes To International Students, Katarzyna Koska

Theses : Honours

This study examined the relationship between intergroup threat and negative attitudes among Anglo-Australians (N = 11 0) toward international students. The Integrated Threat Theory (ITT) was reviewed and four types of threat were discussed that have been shown to be influential determinants of negative attitudes, namely: realistic threat, symbolic threat, intergroup anxiety and negative stereotypes. In addition, the importance of intergroup contact as a separate predictor of attitudes was investigated. Results provided partial support for the ITT, identifying only two threats as significant and unique predictors of attitudes toward international students. Consistent with the hypothesis, realistic threat was significantly and …


Effects Of Ancient And Modern, Avoidant And Approach Stimuli On Visual Search Task Reaction Times, Sanja Bojic Jan 2009

Effects Of Ancient And Modern, Avoidant And Approach Stimuli On Visual Search Task Reaction Times, Sanja Bojic

Theses : Honours

The threat superiority effect refers to faster and more accurate detection of fearful stimuli. This has been explained as evidence for evolution, as ancient fearful stimuli are detected more quickly than modern fearful stimuli. The aim of this study was to investigate which of two alternate evolutionary explanations best explains the findings. Whereas Ohman and Mineka (2001) dealt only with avoidant responses, Lang suggested that stimuli may evoke either an avoidant (fearful) or approach response, associated with negative or positive valence, respectively. The experiment employed a same-different task where Age (ancient, modern), and Valence (approach, avoidant, neutral) were manipulated and …


Perceptions Of Security And Attitudes Towards Cultural Diversity And Immigration Amongst Uk Migrants In Western Australia, Nikki Isaacson Jan 2007

Perceptions Of Security And Attitudes Towards Cultural Diversity And Immigration Amongst Uk Migrants In Western Australia, Nikki Isaacson

Theses : Honours

Psychological research conducted within the field of ethnic relations has revealed a strong relationship between an individual's perception of threat to their ethnocultural group and their attitudes towards the entrance and presence of other ethnocultural groups within a society. The relationship is such that the greater threat that an individual perceives, the more likely they are to hold negative attitudes. This paper provides a review of research that has investigated this relationship; revealing that although a distinct negative correlation exists between perceived threat and intercultural attitudes, a number of factors influence the relationship. Factors discussed throughout this review include the …