2021/09/08 by Enzo Nussio, Tobias Böhmelt, Vincenzo Bove · 28 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Affect (linguistics) #Business #Computer science #Computer security #Criminology #Cultural Differences and Values #Eurobarometer #European union #Identification (biology) #International trade #Law #Order (exchange) #Political science #Politics #Psychology #Public opinion #Social and Intergroup Psychology #Social psychology #Terrorism #Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/poq/nfab046
published in Public Opinion Quarterly 85(3), 900-912 (Oxford University Press)
openalex publication_date 2021/09/08 · openalex created_date 2021/10/25 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/26
Abstract Terrorists aim at influencing audiences beyond their immediate victims, but can only achieve this if an attack receives sufficient public attention. Previous research shows that terrorism can affect public opinion, but these studies are mainly based on emblematic single cases and relate to varying measures of influence, which are difficult to compare. This research focuses on the first-order effect of terrorism: attention. To analyze whether terrorists get attention, we combine a quasi-experimental approach for causal identification with a comparative design. We compile data from Eurobarometer surveys and contrast responses of more than 80,000 individuals surveyed before and after five diverse Islamist attacks in Europe in 2013–2019. Attention to terrorism increases in all targeted countries, regardless of attack size. Yet, while all incidents raise attention to terrorism, only larger attacks exert a meaningful impact across Europe.