Adolescents’ response to unconventional war threat prior to the gulf war

Israeli adolescents’ responses to impending unconventional (i.e., nuclear and chemical) warfare prior to the 1991 Persian Gulf War were examined. The Nuclear Threat Index (NIT) and Rotter’s Locus of Control Scale were administered to 269 junior high school pupils 2 months prior to the war. The results indicate that, prior to the war, younger adolescents reported more activity, pessimistic thoughts, and concerns than older adolescents; females reported being more active, pessimistic, and concerned than males; and “internal” females reported more activity with regard to chemical than to nuclear threat.