Work

Terrorism and misperceptions: Evidence from Europe

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: How does exposure to Islamist terrorism change perceptions of the share of Muslims and immigrants? We conduct a large-scale survey that measures misperceptions towards minority groups in four European countries. Our results show that terror attacks in the past increased misperceptions of the share of Muslims and immigrants. We also contend that this increase in misperceptions is particularly large and significant for lower-educated respondents and people from regions with a low share of the foreign population. Given that misperceptions are higher on average in regions with a large share of foreigners, terror attacks make misperceptions across different groups converge.

Source: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107408

Authors: K. Peren Arin, Umair Khalil, Deni Mazrekaj, Marcel Thum

Language: English

Topic: Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,180

Funders: Rhode Island Foundation, Zayed University