Scapegoating thrives because complex explanations fail to fulfill needs for control

Evidence

In their collective search for plausible explanations and courses of action, people may come to inaccurate, even (to those with better or different information) objectively ridiculous, conclusions that scapegoat an innocent group. Incorrect attributions may occur because information and people’s cognitive abilities to process it are limited, especially when coping with large-scale problems in complex, modern societies. For example, even professional economists may be unable adequately to explain an economic crisis. Complex explanations involving largely uncontrollable, impersonal forces are difficult to fathom and may fail to suggest a clear solution, rendering them unattractive (because they do not fulfill heightened psychological needs for control and optimism). Scapegoat movements attract followers by offering simpler, culturally plausible explanations and solutions for shared negative events. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1592

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to scapegoat and moral panic literature — Cohen’s moral panic work and the psychology of attributing large-scale misfortune. — connects to: Scapegoating requires large shared frustrations plus a blaming ideology. — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide: The Social…, 794; Instigators rise by offering hope in crises that relies on scapegoating. — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide: The Social…, 1704