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Comparing Integrative Complexity of Holocaust Rescuers and Perpetrators

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Comparing Integrative Complexity of Holocaust Rescuers and Perpetrators University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 1-1-2013 Comparing Integrative Complexity of Holocaust Rescuers and Perpetrators Fernando Alberto Ospina University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior Commons, and the Human Factors Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Ospina, Fernando Alberto, "Comparing Integrative Complexity of Holocaust Rescuers and Perpetrators" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 489. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/489 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. COMPARING INTEGRATIVE COMPLEXITY OF HOLOCAUST RESCUERS AND PERPETRATORS __________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Joseph Korbel School of International Studies the Faculty of the Morgridge College of Education University of Denver __________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts __________ by Fernando A. Ospina June 2013 Advisors: Tamra Pearson d’Estreé and Ruth Chu-lien Chao Author: Fernando A. Ospina Title: COMPARING INTEGRATIVE COMPLEXITY OF HOLOCAUST RESCUERS AND PERPETRATORS Advisor: Tamra Pearson d’Estreé and Ruth Chu-lien Chao Degree Date: June 2013 Abstract To contribute to the social psychological literature on Holocaust rescue, this thesis seeks to explore possible connections between open-mindedness and rescuing during the Holocaust, a previously unexplored intersection in the social science literature. Open- mindedness is the ability and/or willingness to adopt alternative points of view (Peterson & Seligman, 2004), while rescuing entails helping others in high-risk circumstances without expectation of reward or compensation. While most of the scientific study of psychology has focused on how human beings are flawed and damaged. People are seen as sick or damaged and the scientific study of psychology tends toward trying to alleviate these ills that are an inherent part of human life. Positive psychology seeks to challenge this paradigm by bringing greater attention to human strengths, positing that there should be an equal focus on these strengths as there is on pathology. This study looks for a relationship between the human strength of open-mindedness and rescuing during the Holocaust. This study compares the open-mindedness of two groups: rescuers of Jews during World War II; and Nazi war crimes defendants, who were involved in perpetrating some of the worst crimes in human history. Using the integrative complexity construct developed by Suedfeld, Tetlock & Streufert (1992), this study compares the integrative complexity scores of 15 rescuers of Jews during the Holocaust and 14 Nazi war crimes defendants using archival data. ii Results do not support the hypothesis that integrative complexity is related to rescuing. This study did not find a significant relationship between rescuing and integrative complexity. However, results do show a negative relationship between integrative complexity and perpetrating. Guilty defendants scored lower than both rescuers and innocent defendants. A relationship also existed between integrative complexity and defendant sentence. Defendants who received the death penalty scored lowest, followed by defendants charged to serve time in prison, with innocent defendants receiving the highest integrative complexity scores. While integrative complexity does not appear to predict rescuing, it does appear to predict perpetrating. These results lend support to previous research that found relationship between integrative complexity and the increased likelihood of finding nonviolent solutions to conflicts. iii Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction.................................................................................................. 1 Chapter Two: Literature Review....................................................................................... 3 Historical Overview..........................................................................................................................4 Context of Rescuing ..........................................................................................................................5 Geography...........................................................................................................................................................5 Political Environment....................................................................................................................................6 Countries.............................................................................................................................................................8 Personal Factors Related to Rescuing..................................................................................... 20 Demographics and rescuing ....................................................................................................................20 Personality characteristics.......................................................................................................................23 Authoritarian orientation .........................................................................................................................24 Risk-taking.......................................................................................................................................................25 Emotional Intelligence ...............................................................................................................................26 Locus of Control ............................................................................................................................................28 Extensivity.......................................................................................................................................................29 Moral reasoning ............................................................................................................................................32 Religion .............................................................................................................................................................37 Social responsibility ....................................................................................................................................38 Perceived marginality.................................................................................................................................40 Witnessing Oppression of Jews..............................................................................................................40 Altruism............................................................................................................................................. 41 Empathy............................................................................................................................................. 46 Developmental literature on Empathy................................................................................................51 Summary of Rescuer Research .................................................................................................. 54 Summary of Rescuer Variables...............................................................................................................54 Open-Mindedness .......................................................................................................................... 57 Integrative Complexity...............................................................................................................................58 The Relationship Between Variables: Reasoned Action Theory................................... 64 Beliefs ................................................................................................................................................................67 Intention...........................................................................................................................................................68 Environmental Constraints......................................................................................................................69 Behavior ...........................................................................................................................................................69 Connecting Integrative Complexity and Altruism: Hypotheses..................................... 70 Chapter Three: Methods ....................................................................................................75 Theoretical Orientation ............................................................................................................... 75 Research Design ............................................................................................................................. 77 Instrument.......................................................................................................................................................77 Selection of subjects....................................................................................................................................78 Selection of Units for Scoring ..................................................................................................................81
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