Psychology professor examines blame, behavior, politics

Professor of Psychology Gail Sahar’s research and teaching focus on social and political psychology, quantitative research methodology and statistics. Her scholarly work examines how perceptions of responsibility for social problems are related to culture and political ideology, and how they are linked with emotions and attitudes. In her book Blame and Political Attitudes: The Psychology of America's Culture War (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023), she examines how perception of blame informs political views and actions and fuels deep societal division. Wheaton magazine editor Sandy Coleman recently asked her a few questions.

Can you give us an overview?

“In this book, I suggest that blame plays an important role in our social and political lives. A great deal of research in social psychology has demonstrated that individuals want to understand the causes of events, especially negative ones. The causes we identify lead us to hold individuals or entities responsible, or to blame, which, in turn, influences our emotions, our actions and our attitudes. I also consider how worldviews, such as political ideology, as well as culture, nudge us to place blame for social problems in particular ways.

“This approach holds that there is not simply a direct path from ideology to attitude but rather that blame is the missing link between the two. So, for example, attitudes toward welfare are not only influenced by one’s political stance [liberal vs. conservative], but also by perceptions of who or what is to blame for poverty [the individual or the system]. Many different social issues and current controversies are analyzed using this model—from poverty to abortion to racial inequality. I also consider how politicians strategically place blame for societal problems to influence the electorate.”

What inspired you to write the book?

“Many of the issues I consider in the book are ones that I have investigated. I have conducted research on attitudes toward abortion, poverty and terrorism—three of the main topics of the book. So, I discuss my own research, but I also summarize the related work of other psychologists, as well as sociologists, political scientists and even some philosophers. I have been researching these issues for over 30 years, and I wanted to place my work and the work of others in a broader context—in the general public beyond academia, so that the power of perceptions of causality and blame become clear. I really enjoy discussing social issues with others from all walks of life and wanted an opportunity to do so. In addition, I have been struck in recent years by the fact that blame perceptions underlie many current topics that have become lightning rods for debate: police violence against Black Americans, the teaching of critical race theory, ‘cancel culture,’ the #MeToo movement and others. I aimed to shed some light on the so-called ‘culture wars’ that political pundits talk so much about.”

How do you describe “culture war”?

“In general, the term ‘culture war’ refers to the idea that Americans are strongly divided by their values, traditional or conservative versus liberal or progressive. And indeed, the media tend to suggest that Americans’ attitudes toward an array of issues and policies diverge

Faculty

Andrew Davinack, assistant professor of biology, co-wrote the article “A new insight into genetic structure of Danube and Italian foci of fascioloidosis,” published in Veterinary Parasitology in February.

Kelly Goff, associate professor of visual art, in November 2022 created and installed a new public artwork in his Continuous Line series. The work is currently on loan to the City of Palm Desert, Calif.

Jessie Knowlton, assistant professor of biology, co-wrote the article “Effects of land use change on the functional diversity and composition of mixed species avian flocks in the high tropical Andes of southern Ecuador,” published in the Journal of Field Ornithology in January.

Lisa Lebduska, professor of English, wrote the short story “The Undertaker's Wife,” published in The Saturday Evening Post in January.

Ursula Moffitt , assistant professor of psychology, in January received an Early Career Research Contributions Award from the Society for Research in Child Development, given to those who have distinguished themselves as researchers and scholars.

sharply based on values. However, much current research indicates that most people do not actually take extreme positions on issues but rather are relatively moderate, thus undercutting the idea that we are in the midst of a culture war. One important way in which Americans are more polarized is in their feelings toward the other political party. Research has shown that hostility between political groups has absolutely increased, so we are more emotionally polarized than we are divergent in regard to policy attitudes.”

Will you be exploring the subject matter in coursework?

“Yes. I plan to use the book this fall in my course ‘Political Psychology.’ I have

Brenda Wyss, professor of economics, wrote the article “Does Child Support Stick to Children? Evidence from Jamaica,” published in Social and Economic Studies in January.

Alumni

Derron Wallace ’07 wrote The Culture Trap: Ethnic Expectations and Unequal Schooling for Black Youth (Oxford University Press, 2023).

taught this course for a number of years. It is cross-listed between psychology and political science, and it attracts students from both majors, as well as others who are simply interested in the subject. I love teaching this advanced seminar, largely because the discussions we have are fascinating. We consider topics such as the psychology of political leaders, the nature of political ideology, intergroup and international conflict and genocide. This book will guide our discussions of how people think about political issues.”

What important lessons are here for students to learn?

“As a liberal arts professor, I have always focused on critical thinking.

This book is, in a way, a long lesson in critical thinking about social problems. Politicians are adept at framing the problems we as a society face in a way that advances their own political agenda. If people do not think critically about their messages, we may end up endorsing policies that are harmful. The worst example of this is when entire groups of people are blamed for a problem, something often referred to as scapegoating. Such a simplistic framing of the situation is nearly guaranteed to be wrong, and the effects are nothing short of tragic for the group that is blamed. At the very least, I hope my students will examine the evidence before accepting politicians’ messages at face value. Our democracy depends on it.”