Who is prone to react to coinciding threats of terrorism and war? Exploring vulnerability through global versus differential reactivity.

This study addressed reactions of Israelis to terrorism and the confrontation with Iraq when these threats coincided in 2003. A sample of 471 participants (age range 19-88) rated affective, cognitive, and behavioral reactions to each threat. Stronger reactions related to higher neuroticism, lower education, and being a woman; reactions to the confrontation with Iraq also related to lower extraversion and being a Holocaust survivor. Participants reacting predominantly to terrorism revealed higher conscientiousness and better subjective health. The study suggests that global reactivity to a critical dual-stressor situation is linked with risk factors of vulnerability whereas differential reactivity may indicate adaptability.