Questions about the causes of events, from terrorist attacks to mass shootings to economic and public health crises dominate conversations across the US. Recent research in social psychology outlines the process we use to identify the causes of such events, reveals how we determine who is responsible or to blame, and documents the far-reaching consequences of these determinations for our emotions, our actions, and our attitudes.
Current approaches to political opinions posit a direct path from a person’s worldview (liberal or conservative) to their attitudes toward specific political issues like abortion and welfare. This book argues that blame is the missing link between the two.
Gail Sahar demonstrates that the current emphasis on value differences, whether between conservatives and liberals in the U.S. or between religious and secular countries on a global level, ignores commonalities in the way people think about issues. She proposes that focusing on perceived causes of social problems is a much more promising avenue for dialog than trying to reconcile fundamental belief systems. Informed by the latest psychological science, this new take on how to change attitudes has implications for anyone seeking to influence the viewpoints of others, from politicians and activists to ordinary people talking about current events at a dinner party.
Reviews
“How do political, cultural, and religious ideologies guide attributional processes—our explanations for everyday social outcomes, the causes we see and those we don’t, the people and things we blame and those we don’t? Gail Sahar has the answers. She has written the best, most accessible, and most socially relevant book about attribution I’ve read in decades, and maybe ever. It is a genuinely wise and important contribution to social psychology, political science, and U.S. society as a whole.” (John T. Jost, Professor of Psychology and Politics, New York University, Author of A Theory of System Justification and Left & Right: The Psychological Significance of a Political Distinction)
“A reader-friendly, well-researched and insightful analysis of an array of social attitudes and behaviors pertaining to abortion, political ideology, poverty, Donald Trump, and more. Guided by established psychological theory, these are embraced within a unifying framework centered around the concepts of responsibility and blame. A valuable contribution to the understanding of fundamental social issues.” (Bernard Weiner, Distinguished Research Professor, University of California, Los Angeles)
“This book is an essential and accessible guide to the psychology of blame in our everyday social lives. Not only does it hold up a mirror to show how human behavior is often inherently political, but leads us gently to question ourselves and ask, ‘Do you like what you see?’” (Ashley Weinberg, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at University of Salford, UK, founding Chair of the BPS Political Psychology Section, and editor of The Psychology of Politicians and Psychology of Democracy: Of the People, By the People, For the People)
“Blame and Political Attitudes is a thoughtful commentary on the state of American politics. This piece digs deep into the long-term impacts of blame-placing and how we should come together to refocus on the problems our generation faces.” (Mayor Brett P. Smiley, Providence, R.I.)
Gail Sahar 