Civilians react differently to civil war explanations. The Syrian conflict has multiple narratives, but grew more communal over time.
In a framing experiment with a representative sample of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, we varied the reasons given for the conflict.
Key Findings:
- Framing the war solely as sectarian strongly increased willingness to fight among those exposed to government propaganda.
- This effect disappeared when presented alongside competing narratives.
Why It Matters:
These results highlight how governments and rebels can strategically use narrative framing. Isolating a divisive angle boosts support, but counter-narratives weaken its impact.
