Explicating Cognitive Conflict through Photo-Communication: The Meaning of War and Peace in Germany and the United States

Separation of groups is associated with differential meaning of crucial concepts, negative attributions of the separated parties arising from cognitive differences, and an accompanying increase in the probability of conflict. Here, the crucial concepts examined are "war" and "peace." Eighty children from Germany and the United States were asked to take one photograph that represents war and another that represents peace. A content analysis of the photographs in conjunction with photo-focused interviews showed German children in comparison with American children depicted more destruction and negative consequences associated with war and more person-related photographs associated with peace. These differences in orientation may be irreconcilable because they are below the level of awareness of the group members.