Exploring the Impact of War Exposure on Empathy and Behavioral Intention Towards Ukrainian Refugees: The Moderating Role of Political Ideology

Wiersma, L.J. (2024) Exploring the Impact of War Exposure on Empathy and Behavioral Intention Towards Ukrainian Refugees: The Moderating Role of Political Ideology. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

The entry of Ukrainian refugees into Europe in the aftermath of the Russo-Ukrainian war has prompted inquiries into the reception and hospitality extended to these refugees by host countries. To enhance comprehension of the refugee integration process, this thesis conducted an experiment with a sample of 225 participants in the Irish context. It investigated the impact of political ideology and exposure to war-related information on empathy and behavioral intentions. Additionally, it explored the interaction between political ideology and war information in shaping both empathy and behavioral intentions. The findings revealed that exposure to war-related information, as opposed to the control condition, led to heightened levels of empathy, and increased behavioral intentions toward Ukrainian refugees. Moreover, a negative association emerged between political ideology and both empathy and behavioral intentions. However, the anticipated interaction effect between political ideology and war information on empathy and behavioral intentions did not reach statistical significance. This lack of significance in the interaction effect may be attributed to elevated empathy and behavioral intentions within our sample, potentially influenced by perceived threats and acknowledged limitations. The thesis delves into the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor)
Supervisor name:	Borinca, I.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	None [Bachelor Psychology]
Date Deposited:	24 Jan 2024 09:08
Last Modified:	24 Jan 2024 09:08
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3018

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