Violence Research

The present chapter first discusses how violence is defined, considering the dimensions of time and space as well as four ideal-typical perspectives on violence. A brief overview of common psychological explanations for collective violence follows. This includes Ingroup-Outgroup constellations, (low or threatened) self-esteem, construction of scapegoats, justification narratives, othering, the role of spectators, material gain, idealism and worldviews, sadism, obedience, conformity, tradition, security, and order. In contrast, some examples of cultural psychological studies on violence are presented, and finally, the potential for future research guided by cultural psychology is highlighted. This includes culture-sensitive approaches with regard to the relationship between culture and individual psyches and, as a consequence, the inclusion of regional research partners. Furthermore, there is an urgent need for a systematic consideration of action-theoretical concepts.