The Emotional Impact of 4th May Commemoration on the Post-War Generation in the Netherlands

Abstract

Commemorations and rituals are often organised to help people recover from trauma after tragedies, such as war. Nevertheless, studies show that commemorations can elicit various emotional reactions. In the current study we analysed the emotional impact of the Dutch commemoration of the Second World War (WWII) on the post-war generation since WWII. One group participants did experience psychological complaints related to this war, whereas the other group participants did not. Based on the Trauma Film Paradigm participants watched a TV fragment of the commemoration on 4 May 2018, and rated their emotions before and after the fragment. Conforming our hypothesis there is a difference in impact over time between both groups, however the increase in negative emotions was stronger for people without psychological complaints. Besides, solidarity and recognition seemed to explain the increase in negative emotions, whereas solidarity was the only hypothesized predictor of decrease in positive emotions. The findings highlight the need for further research on commemoration and the role of rituals after trauma.