Young Israelis' reactions to the Rabin assassination: two perspectives

The study analyzed the responses of 713 Israeli adolescents, aged 12-17, to 3 open questions regarding their behavior following Rabin's assassination. Participants' explanations for their own behavior and for the youth's behavior as a whole were analyzed and compared. Adolescents responded mainly with pain and authentic grief. Because explanations were elicited from two different perspectives, results of the comparison were discussed with reference to the actor--observer hypothesis (E. E. Jones & R. E. Nisbett, 1972). Participants' responses were also analyzed as a function of gender, age and political stance. Girls, older children, and supporters of Rabin's peace policy expressed their grief more strongly.