Informing Decisions to Prevent Genocide
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Date
2012
Authors
Vastfjall, Daniel
Slovic, Paul
Gergory, Robin
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Johns Hopkins University Press
Abstract
This paper describes a psychological phenomenon called psychic numbing that devalues
lives when many are at stake and thus enables political leaders to neglect mass
suffering, in violation of our professed humanitarian values. The authors argue for
the need to use tools such as decision analysis to overcome this moral insensitivity and
provide a more thoughtful and consistent framework within which to assess the difficult
trade-offs posed by decisions involving mass atrocities.
Description
15 pages
Keywords
Affect, Genocide, Values, Risk
Citation
Slovic, P., Västfjäll, D., & Gregory, R. (2012). Informing decisions to prevent genocide. SAIS Review, 32(1), 33–47.