How do we perceive heroes?

Abstract

Although there are several interpretations of it, heroism is generally viewed in terms of distinguished bravery or courage. However, little has been done to investigate how people perceive heroic acts and the hero's reasons for them. There would appear to be a risky response prompted by a relatively sudden emotional trigger, the individual also being likely to act without processing cognitive information about risk and without necessarily considering the costs and benefits associated with the behaviour. Using short scenarios, 155 subjects assessed the mental processes involved at the critical points of perceived acts of heroism. The findings suggest that perceived heroism relates to intention and outcome rather than the risk involved. The findings are discussed in terms of attribution and risk perception and a three‐dimensional approach is proposed which incorporates affect, cognition and control.