Peace-oriented mindset and how to measure it

Abstract

This article presents the concept of a Peace-Oriented Mindset (POM), based on peace psychology and the significance of conflict-related context. It highlights the role of preventing conflicts through creating an enabling and peace-supportive milieu, facilitated by individuals with specific peace-oriented capabilities. The phenomenon of POM is analyzed, as well as delineated in the context of the current knowledge in this field. Next, the method used to construct a questionnaire measuring the POM is presented. The POM scale is verified on an N = 1074 representative sample, documenting high reliability. Factor analysis confirms the conjecture that there are three dimensions of the POM: Cognitive, performative, and doability conviction. Moreover, social norms are documented. A cross-segment comparison delivers several insights, e.g., that women have a higher POM level than men and that those who consider themselves leaders or innovators and those who are involved in social activities have a higher POM level than those who do not. The POM concept and scale are valuable resources for identifying future peacebuilders, especially from conflicted communities, as well as for training future youth leaders in the field of peacebuilding. Finally, indications for future studies are discussed, e.g., for verifying the hypothesis that individuals who score high in POM also have higher levels of empathy and compassion.

The Role of Peace Attitudes on Sustainable Behaviors: An Exploratory Study

“…The results also reveal that peace attitude is correlated with all personality traits, with the strongest association found with openness, neuroticism, and agreeableness. These findings align with previous research indicating that individuals with high peace attitudes possess traits such as sociability, generosity, emotional stability, and a willingness to establish and maintain relationships [40][41][42].…”

“…This study extends our understanding by exploring the interplay between peace attitudes and sustainable behaviors. As established in the literature [40][41][42]44] peace attitudes exhibit strong correlations with certain personality traits. Notably, individuals characterized by openness tend to embrace peace attitudes, aligning with the concept of tolerance for outgroup members [9,11,12].…”

“…Personality traits and attitudes toward peace have also been examined [40][41][42]. Openness has demonstrated a strong association with intergroup attitudes, such as peace and tolerance for outgroup members [9,11,12].…”