Based on observational and interview data following a major air crash, a classification of individuals affected by catastrophe is proposed in which degree of involvement is used to characterize the dynamic nature of the disaster community. The model encompasses individual and group activities, roles and relationships, and the shared meaning of the traumatic event. Implications for the identification of neglected participants and for preventive community intervention are offered.
Heider's (1958) analysis of cognitive structures sets forth several hypotheses based on the distmction between balanced and unbalanced structures For triadic structures-isuch as those representmg two people, the sentiment of one toward die other, and the sentiments of each person toward an attitude object-balance IS defined by a simple rule Balanced sitructures contam an even number (either zero or two) of negative sentiment relationse g, dislike, disapprove-and unbalanced structures contam an odd number of negative sentiment relations ^ Heider has proposed that (a) individuals prefer balanced structures to unbalanced structures, and (b) that given an unbalanced structure there is a stress to change it to a balanced structure In two related hypotheses, Heider (1958) has also proposed that unbalanced structures are remembered less readily than balanced structures "Expenments would probably show a difference m the recall of balanced and unbalanced situations The balanced situations should be more stable and therefore better remembered" (p 181)
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