How psychology and psychologists can and can’t contribute to peace processes? A prolegomenon for a critical peace psychology

Year 2018, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 29 - 40, 29.12.2018

Ulaş Başar Gezgin

Abstract

There may be at least three ways through which psychology and
psychologists can contribute to peace processes: 1. Psychological
research findings can be usual for peace processes. 2.
Psychologists as a professional group can involve in negotiations
or other peace-related processes. 3. Applied psychological
counseling skills such as active listening, basic empathy,
multicultural competency, acceptance, rapport-building etc. can
be utilized to train both sides of the conflict for a smooth
transition to peace processes. Unfortunately, these three options
are rarely taken into consideration. The article discusses various
ways through which psychology and psychologists can and can’t
contribute to peace processes, errors, biases and fallacies
typically observed in the relevant research and the applied fields,
and the distinction between medical and social models of peace.
The introduction of new terms to the field of peace studies in
general, and peace psychology in particular is another key
strength of this article.

Keywords

Peace psychology, critical peace psychology, critical psychology, organic peace psychologist, medical model of peace, and analogical inference error

References

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• Arrigo JM. (2004) A utilitarian argument against torture interrogation of terrorists. Science and Engineering Ethics 10(3):543-572.