The Story of a Crisis: How Framing Shapes What We Believe
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Start Date
23-4-2026 12:00 AM
Description
Most people do not experience a crisis as it happens. They experience the version that reaches them first, whether that is a headline, an image, or a short post that gives meaning to the situation before all the facts are known, and that first version often has a lasting impact on how individuals interpret what is happening and what they believe should be done about it. This project explores how the presentation of a crisis influences emotional reactions and policy preferences during international conflict, focusing on the ways in which different narratives and images can guide people toward supporting security-based responses, such as force, or diplomacy-based responses, such as negotiation. Drawing from research in political communications and psychology, the study proposes analyzing social media posts and public reactions to ongoing conflicts in order to understand how people respond in real time without the structure of surveys or experiments. By examining how emotions, such as anger, empathy, and fear, appear in response to different forms of crisis communication, this research highlights how quickly and powerfully storytelling can shape public opinion in a world where information spreads faster than it can be fully understood.
Recommended Citation
Morales Palacios, Maria Paula, "The Story of a Crisis: How Framing Shapes What We Believe" (2026). 2026 Student Academic Showcase. 21.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/src_2026/oral_presentation/1/21
The Story of a Crisis: How Framing Shapes What We Believe
Most people do not experience a crisis as it happens. They experience the version that reaches them first, whether that is a headline, an image, or a short post that gives meaning to the situation before all the facts are known, and that first version often has a lasting impact on how individuals interpret what is happening and what they believe should be done about it. This project explores how the presentation of a crisis influences emotional reactions and policy preferences during international conflict, focusing on the ways in which different narratives and images can guide people toward supporting security-based responses, such as force, or diplomacy-based responses, such as negotiation. Drawing from research in political communications and psychology, the study proposes analyzing social media posts and public reactions to ongoing conflicts in order to understand how people respond in real time without the structure of surveys or experiments. By examining how emotions, such as anger, empathy, and fear, appear in response to different forms of crisis communication, this research highlights how quickly and powerfully storytelling can shape public opinion in a world where information spreads faster than it can be fully understood.