Heroism Research: A Review of Theories, Methods, Challenges, and Trends

Heroism as an expression of self-actualization and a pinnacle social state is of fundamental interest to humanistic psychology and the field more broadly. This review places the growing discussion on heroic action in a humanistic perspective, as heroism aligns with ethical self-actualization in its highest form, personal meaning making, and social good, and can also involve profound existential costs. This review is organized in four major sections: First, the historical and philosophical underpinnings of heroism are examined, moving from ancient Greco-Roman perspectives, to more modern interpretations of Continental philosophy, and to Freud and Le Bon. Second, the article summarizes in detail a renaissance of interest in the psychology of heroism that began in the early 2000s, moving from a modern re-theorizing of heroism toward empirical exploration. This renewal of interest is described as six overlapping phases: theory building and exploration of operational definitions of heroism, taxonometric approaches to heroic figures, implicit theories of heroism, social ascription of heroic status, social influence of heroes, and internal motivations for heroic action. Third, key methodological challenges in studying heroism are discussed. Finally, the renewed interest in heroism is considered as a social movement involving not just researchers but also the broader public.

Community Veterans' Decision to Use VA Services: A Multimethod Veteran Health Partnership Study

BACKGROUND

Ensuring veterans' access to healthcare is a national priority. Prior studies of veterans' use of Veterans Health Administration (VA) healthcare have had limited success in evaluating barriers to access for certain vulnerable veteran subpopulations.

OBJECTIVES

Our coalition of researchers and veteran community members sought to understand factors affecting use of VA, particularly for those less likely to participate in traditional survey studies.

METHODS

We recruited 858 veterans to complete a collaboratively designed survey at community events or via social media. We compared our results regarding VA use with the 2010 National Survey of Veterans (NSV) using chi-square tests, multiple logistic regression to identify predictors of VA use, and content analysis for open-ended descriptions of barriers to VA use.

RESULTS

Veterans in our study were more likely than NSV respondents to report using VA healthcare ever (76% vs. 28%; p<0.0001). Within this group, more veterans in our sample were current VA users (83% vs. 68%; p<0.0001). In multivariable analysis, VA use was predicted by self-reported physical problems (comparing "a lot" vs. "none" for each variable, adjusted odds ratio [OR], 8.35), thinking problems (OR, 1.14), need for smoking cessation (OR, 1.54), need for pain management (OR, 1.65), and need for other mental health services (OR, 3.04). We identified 15 themes summarizing veterans' perceived barriers to VA use.

CONCLUSION

Persistent actual and perceived barriers prevent some veterans from using VA services. The VA can better understand and address these issues through community-academic partnerships with veterans' organizations.

A Social Network Analysis of 140 Community-Academic Partnerships for Health: Examining the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program

INTRODUCTION

Social Network Analysis (SNA) provides an important, underutilized approach to evaluating Community Academic Partnerships for Health (CAPHs). This study examines administrative data from 140 CAPHs funded by the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program (HWPP).

METHODS

Funder data was normalized to maximize number of interconnections between funded projects and 318 non-redundant community partner organizations in a dual mode analysis, examining the period from 2003-2013.Two strategic planning periods, 2003-2008 vs. 2009-2014, allowed temporal comparison.

RESULTS

Connectivity of the network was largely unchanged over time, with most projects and partner organizations connected to a single large component in both time periods. Inter-partner ties formed in HWPP projects were transient. Most community partners were only involved in projects during one strategic time period. Community organizations participating in both time periods were involved in significantly more projects during the first time period than partners participating in the first time period only (Cohen's d = 0.93).

DISCUSSION

This approach represents a significant step toward using objective (non-survey) data for large clusters of health partnerships and has implications for translational science in community settings. Considerations for government, funders, and communities are offered. Examining partnerships within health priority areas, orphaned projects, and faculty ties to these networks are areas for future research.

Heroism: A Conceptual Analysis and Differentiation between Heroic Action and Altruism

Heroism represents the ideal of citizens transforming civic virtue into the highest form of civic action, accepting either physical peril or social sacrifice. While implicit theories of heroism abound, surprisingly little theoretical or empirical work has been done to better understand the phenomenon. Toward this goal, we summarize our efforts to systematically develop a taxonomy of heroic subtypes as a starting point for theory building. Next we explore three apparent paradoxes that surround heroism—the dueling impulses to elevate and negate heroic actors; the contrast between the public ascription of heroic status versus the interior decision to act heroically; and apparent similarities between altruism, bystander intervention and heroism that mask important differences between these phenomena. We assert that these seeming contradictions point to an unrecognized relationship between insufficient justification and the ascription of heroic status, providing more explanatory power than risk-type alone. The results of an empirical study are briefly presented to provide preliminary support to these arguments. Finally, several areas for future research and theoretical activity are briefly considered. These include the possibility that extension neglect may play a central role in public's view of nonprototypical heroes; a critique of the positive psychology view that heroism is always a virtuous, prosocial activity; problems associated with retrospective study of heroes; the suggestion that injury or death (particularly in social sacrifice heroes) serves to resolve dissonance in favor of the heroic actor; and a consideration of how to foster heroic imagination.

The dirty dozen: twelve failures of the hurricane katrina response and how psychology can help

This comprehensive analysis addresses the United States' alarming lack of preparedness to respond effectively to a massive disaster as evidenced by Hurricane Katrina. First, a timeline of problematic response events during and after Hurricane Katrina orients readers to some of the specific problems encountered at different levels of government. Second, a list of the "Dirty Dozen"--12 major failures that have occurred in prior disasters, which also contributed to inadequate response during and after Hurricane Katrina--is presented. Third, this article encourages expanding psychology's role beyond the treatment of trauma to encompass disaster planning and mitigation efforts from a broader public health perspective. Finally, areas for important interdisciplinary research in human behavior that will influence our nation's overall preparedness for future catastrophes are identified, and ways psychologists can become personally involved beyond treating casualties are discussed.

The dirty dozen: twelve failures of the hurricane katrina response and how psychology can help

This comprehensive analysis addresses the United States' alarming lack of preparedness to respond effectively to a massive disaster as evidenced by Hurricane Katrina. First, a timeline of problematic response events during and after Hurricane Katrina orients readers to some of the specific problems encountered at different levels of government. Second, a list of the "Dirty Dozen"--12 major failures that have occurred in prior disasters, which also contributed to inadequate response during and after Hurricane Katrina--is presented. Third, this article encourages expanding psychology's role beyond the treatment of trauma to encompass disaster planning and mitigation efforts from a broader public health perspective. Finally, areas for important interdisciplinary research in human behavior that will influence our nation's overall preparedness for future catastrophes are identified, and ways psychologists can become personally involved beyond treating casualties are discussed.