Abstract
The data reported in this paper are based on a comprehensive survey carried out in a number of European countries. General results indicate that individuals low in social and personal power are more likely to acquiesce to peace proposals which could be considered high in social desirability. Little power to intervene actively in the future is reflected in the pessimism about chances for conflict and pessimism about their own life and the status of their own countries arid the past, present, and future status of the world. These results are explained by analyzing social power as an intervening variable between social and personality characteristics based upon Ss' responses to questions dealing with peace proposals, optimism-pessimism, and expectations of conflict. This analysis suggests that peace agreement on the part of low power persons is partly a result of cognitive rigidity and inability to evaluate differentially the peace proposals in which the motivational processes of low self-esteem and powerlessness play an important part.
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