Shared frustration triggers a collective search for explanations and solutions

Evidence

Figure 15.1 illustrates the proposed ideological model of scapegoating (the letter labels in the figure correspond to the text below). The model begins with (A) widespread, shared frustrations, the kind of group-level events that Staub (1989) and Tajfel (1981) viewed as a prerequisite for scapegoating. These difficult life conditions (B) frustrate basic needs and arouse shared anxieties (Staub, 1989) that (C) lead to a collective search for explanations and solutions (Tajfel, 1981). How and why the third step leads to the heart of the model, (G) commitment to scapegoat ideologies, is the unique contribution of this framework. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1591

Categorization

• QUESTION: The model’s key move — from shared anxiety to commitment to scapegoat ideology — is flagged as its unique contribution; worth chasing the full Glick (2002) model to see what mechanism bridges steps C to G.