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Reaction to a Campus Confrontation 1
Author(s) -
Epstein Yakov M.,
Suedfeld Peter,
Bresnahan Daniel M.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1971.tb00353.x
Subject(s) - evening , respondent , negotiation , psychology , social psychology , politics , political science , law , physics , astronomy
Students' reactions to the occupation of a university building were surveyed on the first and last day of the occupation as well as several weeks following the end of the occupation. Respondents were either day or evening school students at two different campuses of the same university. Results of the survey indicate that: (1) The majority of students, both day and evening, believe that the university should negotiate with the occupiers. The only exception to this trend is a group of political conservatives who advocate punishment. (2) The conflict tends to polarize attitudes about radicals, but mostly against them rather than in their favor. (3) A striking net increase is found in attitudes favorable to conventional political groups. (4) The closer the physical proximity of the respondent to the scene of the conflict, the more negative are his attitudes toward those who are seen as responsible for the disruption. (5) Evening school students are more negative toward the occupiers than are day school students. (6) The attitudes of young evening students are more similar to those of their older classmates than to those of their day school agemates.