Boston Bombing "Family"

On April 15, 2013, Carlos Arredondo was an attendant at the Boston Marathon. He was there with an organization called Military Friends and the Samaritan organization. Arredondo belong to these organizations following the deaths of his sons. One son was killed serving in the military, and the other committed suicide after battling depression. Arredondo was enjoying his day handing out American Flags to spectators when an explosion occurred directly across the street from him. Arredondo jump the fence and ran toward to explosion. What he was able to see through the smoke was devastating. It was among the smoke that he saw Jeff Bauman. Without thinking about the cost of his actions, Arredondo pick Bauman up, carried him to the nearest wheelchair and ran to the hospital.

            Arredondo displayed true altruism.  He was motivated to help even when the costs of help were high. According to Buhrmester, M., Fraser, W., Lanman, J., Whitehouse, H., & Swann, W. (2014), heroes of the Boston Marathon Bombing were motivated to act altruistically because of the idea of fused kinship. Fused kinship or identify fusion suggest that when the terrorist acts happen people sense a strong in-group closeness, kinship, as Americans and this motivate them to act, showing pro-social behavior  (Buhrmester, M., Fraser, W., Lanman, J., Whitehouse, H., & Swann, W.,2014).

In three studies, Buhrmester, M., Fraser, W., Lanman, J., Whitehouse, H., & Swann, W. (2014) looked at the relationship between the Boston Marathon Bombing and identity fusion. In Study 1, they tested the level of empathy toward victims of terrorism and how it affected the perceptions of psychological kinship toward United States citizens. They found that those who perceived other Americans as their “family” exhibited kin-perceptions that was associated with their empathic concerns for the victims. Arredondo said that he saw his sons in Bauman and had to help. Study 2 tested this theory by having participant complete two questionnaires a few days after the Marathon Bombings. This first questionnaire was an “attitudes about their country” questionnaire. After completing this they giving hypothetical situations and reported how they would act. This was followed by the kin-perception rating. The results of this study showed that those who had strongly fused kinship with fellow Americans perceived fellow Americans as kin. Study 3 used those who donated to the Boston One Fund. They had them explain why they supporting the victims using a computer survey. There kin-perception was derived from their responses. “The results from all three studies indicated strongly fused persons reported a willingness to go to extreme lengths to support victims (Study 1), endorsing self-sacrifice over survival to ensure the capture of the terrorists responsible for the bombings (Study 2). In a final study, strongly fused persons were particularly likely to write supportive notes and donate funds to victims (Study 3)” (Buhrmester, M., Fraser, W., Lanman, J., Whitehouse, H., & Swann, W., 2014).

Carol Arredondo was one of many people who experienced this kinship with his fellow American Jeff Bauman. In the moment where Boylston Street in Boston was covered in smoke Arredondo saw Bauman the way he saw his own sons and acted altruistically to save his live, showing this kin-perception in pro-social behavior of the in-group.  Arredondo said “Being in a situation so dramatic on Monday it came to my mind what my son and many of his comrades were going through in Iraq because so many IEDs have taken the lives of our sons and daughters overseas” (Rocheleau, M., 2013). Arredondo sense his kinship and acted as an American not as an individual further displaying identity fusion. Arredondo felt it was his responsibility to help this fellow American, even when the situation was dangerous, he believe he was at the finish line for that reason.

[Mary Perron] 

References 

Buhrmester, M., Fraser, W., Lanman, J., Whitehouse, H., & Swann, W. (2014). When Terror Hits Home: Identity Fused Americans Who Saw Boston Bombing Victims as “Family” Provided Aid.

Rocheleau, M. (2013, April 25). The story of the man in the cowboy hat who helped rescue a Marathon bombing victim. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from Boston.com