LEWISTON – The causes of conflict, war and terrorism and the resulting psychological impact they have on society were the topics in a recently completed course at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College.

The course, titled “Social Psychology of War and Terrorism,” was offered as an elective in the social and behavioral sciences program at the college. The instructor, Elaine Makas, PhD, explained that the major objective of the class was to “apply basic principles and models from social psychology to explore the psychological causes and the psychological impact of war and terrorism.”

Some of the topics covered included an examination of terrorist groups and the cognitive causes of war, the influence of culture and the media, persuasion and aggression, group influence (conformity, compliance, obedience, etc.) and conflict resolution.

“This class gave each student the chance to learn and understand other cultures and their belief systems,” said Rhiannon Desmond of Sabattus.

“Before this class I had half a puzzle on global events,” added Melissa Brown of Livermore Falls. “Now with the readings, discussions and critical thinking, I can see the whole puzzle.”

Students had to complete written assignments and conduct in-class presentations on such topics as media images and cultural sensitivity.

Ryan Arnold of Lewiston said the best part of the course for him “was listening to other opinions, recognizing bias, and finally being able to see these issues from all sides.”

“This helped me to examine both sides of a conflict and how the media can filter information,” said Tabatha Aube of Auburn. “Facts can be interpreted as for or against one’s bias … these perceptions are what people act on and can then create escalating conflict.”