INTERPERSONAL IMPACTS AND ADJUSTMENT TO THE STRESS OF SIMULATED CAPTIVITY - AN EMPIRICAL-TEST OF THE STOCKHOLM SYNDROME

The Stockholm Syndrome refers to the paradoxical development of recipr ocal positive feelings between hostages and their terrorist captors, w hich is said to enhance the hostages' ability to cope with their capti vity. The present study examined the syndrome within a highly stressfu l simulated captivity situation by measuring subjective interpersonal impacts (obtained from both hostages and their primary abductor) and h ostage adjustment and emotional distress levels. Consistent with the s yndrome, hostages who found captivity most aversive and who adjusted p oorest were those who perceived the terrorist as most dominant and lea st friendly (and those who were perceived as least friendly by the ter rorist). Also, hostages who received prestress training in emotion-foc used (vs problem-focused) coping strategies perceived the terrorist as less dominant and hostile (and were perceived by the terrorist as les s hostile and more friendly) and therefore adjusted better. Hostages w ho adjusted best also tended to show the closest 'complementary'' matc h to the terrorist's interpersonal behavior. We discuss implications o f these findings for development of interpersonal strategies to manage ''fate control' stress situations of which hostage captivity is a pro totypical example.