Characteristics of psychological well- being and ill-being in groups with various levels of sensitivity to terrorist threat

Abstract

The current research is a part of a complex theoretical and empirical research of sensitivity to terrorist threat. Sensitivity to terrorist threat may be described using the concept of negative affectivity which includes the whole range of negative emotions and feelings. The purpose of this research is to examine the relation between the level of sensitivity to terrorist threat and psychological well-being/ ill-being. The subjects were 236 inhabitants of Moscow aged 17–35. The Questionnaire of Sensitivity to Terrorist Threat (Bykhovets, Tarabrina, 2010) and the Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-being (adapted by Shevelenkova, Fesenko, 2005) were used. It is shown that not only emotionally vulnerable part of the population but also psychologically untroubled respondents may experience negative consequences of sensitivity to terrorist threat; psychologically untroubled men and women demonstrate a lower level of sensitivity to terrorist threat.