Honors Thesis

So, my honors thesis is complete, and for those of you with any interest in what my life has been dedicated to for the past year and a half, here's the abstract of the 80pg monstrosity that I have birthed.

'Leadership is intangible, and therefore no weapon ever designed can replace it.' -General Omar N. Bradley

'I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles but today it means getting along with people.'- Gandhi

'The great leader speaks little. He never speaks carelessly. When all is finished, the people say, “We did it ourselves.”'- Lao-Tzu

Although a prodigious amount of research exists on the topic of intergroup relations in conflict, the argument over the applicability of positive intergroup attitudes and the other ideals of principled nonviolent movements that foster them is not adequately addressed. The role of principled leadership in particular in conflict management and prevention has not been examined. An experimental design for an adaptable conflict simulation addressing this factor; the Leadership, Intergroup Attitudes, and Conflict Simulation (LIACS), was developed and tested. Results showed that two personality factors; Social Dominance Orientation and the extent of the circle of moral regard were correlated to increased positivity of groups' political actions. And despite there being no significant differences in intergroup bias and attitudes using the measures selected, the use of principled leadership rhetoric did significantly increase positivity in communication between groups in a conflict scenario, as well as decrease potential conflict escalation through the reduction of hostile actions.