Cognitive and Social Behavioral Effects of War

Author

Antonio Pagano, University of San FranciscoFollow

Date of Graduation

Spring 5-31-2024

Document Type

Restricted Thesis - USF access only

Degree Name

Master of Science in International and Development Economics (MSIDEC)

College/School

College of Arts and Sciences

Department/Program

Economics

First Advisor

Alessandra Cassar

Abstract

Populations victimized by war often show difficulties in cognitive function, as well as changes in social behaviors favoring norms of fairness. Given that these norms of fairness theoretically promote in group cooperation and fitness to cultural selection from war, these behaviors seemingly reflect psychological responses to a perceived scarcity, which diverts cognitive resources to solving their survival problem through a hyper-focus on the subject. Can these changes in behavioral state in response to war victimization similarly be theoretically functional in the context of promoting cooperation within a group fighting for survival? We address this question in an experiment measuring cognitive response effects to war-related emotional stimuli, as well as experimental manipulation of war salience before dictator games, in an online survey of over 700 Ukrainian during Ukraine-Russia war starting in 2022. We see how these response effects vary between those with and without being affected by the war as measured across questions and indices of war victimization, taking into account location, sample group and demographics. These give us causal measures of focus, distraction and fairness norms as caused by ones thinking about ones own war experiences. Results show for many reported war experiences, that those affected by the war responded to a war salience priming by more quickly following norms of fairness, and to responds become more focused on war-related stimuli in a focus test than those not affected by the war.

Recommended Citation

Pagano, Antonio, "Cognitive and Social Behavioral Effects of War" (2024). Master's Theses. 1580.
https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/1580