Multiple psychological mechanisms can jointly explain mass-historical events rather than one correct cause.

Evidence

One important point is the compatibility among these explanations. We are not suggesting that they are mutually exclusive and that research is likely to find the “correct” one; for example, such factors as Nazi propaganda about Jews being a source of both real and metaphorical infection are supportive of more than one of the hypotheses. What we would strive for is an explana­ tory model that does justice to the complexity of large-scale historical events. — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 528

Categorization

• XREF: Relevant to the reader’s goal of bridging two mechanism literatures: the passage licenses combining small-subgroup/inclusion-need and powerful-minority scapegoating accounts rather than choosing between them. — connects to: Conflicting theories of violence both fit the data because events have multiple causes — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4312; Historical conjunctures are overdetermined accumulations of heterogeneous contradictions; Structural psychological and cultural explanations of belief are mutually implicated and inseparable — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”: The work of avoiding…, 169 (+2 more)
• QUESTION: Where exactly does Glick’s envied-outgroup competence-threat mechanism sit among these compatible hypotheses, and which ones does infection-metaphor propaganda support?

Broader Connections

• Conflicting theories of violence both fit the data because events have multiple causes #corroborates (0.95) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4312
• Historical conjunctures are overdetermined accumulations of heterogeneous contradictions #expands (0.85)
• Terrorism resists a single psychological explanation because it takes many forms #corroborates (0.85) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4075
• Individual psychodynamic theories cannot explain coordinated mass scapegoating #corroborates (0.85)
• Structural psychological and cultural explanations of belief are mutually implicated and inseparable #corroborates (0.80) — Nina Eliasoph, “Close to home”, 169