THE HEBRON MASSACRE, SELECTIVE REPORTS OF JEWISH REACTIONS, AND PERCEPTIONS OF VOLATILITY IN ISRAEL

An experiment was conducted to assess news viewer reactions to broadca st news coverage of the Hebron massacre. In four experimental conditio ns, a factual description of the event was followed by interviews with Jews who either (1) condoned, even glorified, the carnage, (2) deplor ed and condemned it or (3) both condoned and condemned it. Interview c overage was omitted in (4) the control condition. Viewers in the first condition who saw interviews with Jews who condoned the massacre attr ibuted to Jews/Israelis greater fault for the continued violence, a le sser willingness to make peace, and an increased likelihood for the co mmission of similar attacks on the Palestinians. Additionally, these v iewers overestimated the size of a potentially violent Israeli subpopu lation and underestimated the size of the subpopulation committed to p eace. The findings appear to vindicate the use of balanced exemplifica tions. There was no indication that this kind of exemplification promo ted a misconception of social reality.