Thesis

Incorporating emotion into securitisation studies: fear-based psychological models of securitisation attitudes

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2022
Thesis identifier
  • T16194
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 201262315
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Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • Securitisation Studies seeks to explain the conditions in which security threat perceptions are created and support for security countermeasures established. However, due to the ontological and epistemological preferences of the two main approaches in the field, minimal attention has been paid to the role emotions may play in influencing securitisation outcomes. This thesis addresses this gap in the literature by incorporating emotion into a refined securitisation framework to explain varying levels of securitisation attitudes - a concept created to denote an audience’s security threat perception levels, and the extent of their support for a security response following a securitisation move. Interdisciplinary theory building is first undertaken. With insight drawn from the fields of social psychology and affective science, hypotheses are proposed which offer to illuminate the dynamics of how emotions - namely threat-based and existential fear - affect securitisation attitudes. Four experiments are conducted to test these hypotheses. Data is examined via an innovative analytical strategy employing advanced statistical methods i.e., structural equation modelling and latent basis models to identify how the rate of change of an emotional experience over time affects securitisation attitudes. A key finding is that securitisation moves which arouse then reduce fear are most effective. In contrast, securitisation moves which elicit fear, but fail to sufficiently diminish it, are associated with higher levels of defensive reactions from the audience, which contributes to lower levels of securitisation attitudes. Contrary to expectations, existential fear was not found to affect securitisation attitudes. This theoretical contribution is formalised into two novel models which outline the configurations of securitisation move content, and emotional and cognitive responses associated with higher or lower levels of securitisation attitudes. This thesis therefore creates the foundation for an experimentally driven psychological branch of Securitisation Studies which complements the focus of existing approaches, while opening new, interdisciplinary research avenues.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Johnson, Richard
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DOI

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