The Effects of Feeling Threatened on Attitudes Toward Immigrants
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2005
Description
Three studies tested the integrated threat theory by examining the causal role that threats play in attitudes toward immigrants. In Study I, students were presented with information about an immigrant group indicating that it posed realistic threats, symbolic threats, both types of threat or no threats to the ingroup. Attitudes toward the immigrant group were most negative when it posed both realistic and symbolic threats to the ingroup. In Study II, information was presented indicating that an immigrant group possessed negative traits, positive traits, or a combination of positive and negative traits. The results indicated that the negative stereotypes led to significantly more negative attitudes toward the immigrant group than the other types of stereotypes. In the third study, group descriptions leading to high levels of intergroup anxiety led to negative attitudes toward foreign exchange students. Empathizing with the foreign exchange students reduced these negative attitudes. The implications of the results of these studies for theory and practice are discussed.
Citation Information
Stephan, Walter G.; Renfro, C. Lausanne; Esses, Victoria M.; Stephan, Cookie White; and Martin, Tim. 2005. The Effects of Feeling Threatened on Attitudes Toward Immigrants. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. Vol.29(1). 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2005.04.011 ISSN: 0147-1767