Individual dispositions, social identity and intergroup threat as predictors of ethnic prejudice

Skokandić, Lea. (2018). Individual dispositions, social identity and intergroup threat as predictors of ethnic prejudice. PhD Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Psychology.
(Poslijediplomski doktorski studij psihologije) [mentor Čorkalo Biruški, Dinka].

Preview

PDF (Croatian) Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

Introduction Prejudice and discrimination toward minority groups are well known factors that may destabilize intergroup relations. Previous research has shown relative importance of personality and social factors as determinants of prejudice but most of research has tested their partial contribution. This is why the present research explores relative contributions of some relevant antecedents of ethnic prejudice. The aim of this research was to test a theoretical model for predicting prejudice toward national minorities in Croatia, assuming that dispositions, identity and situational factors would have important direct and indirect effects on prejudice. By integrating concepts from several theoretical frameworks that emphasizes role of motivation, emotion and ideology in explaining prejudice, we explored the role of right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, three forms of national attachment – national identity, nationalism and cosmopolitism, and perception of intergroup threat in relation to two forms of prejudice toward national minorities in Croatia - subtle and blatant. Moderating and mediating role of perception of intergroup threat in relation between dispositional factors (right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation) and identity factors (national identity, nationalism and cosmopolitism), and prejudice toward national minorities was also explored. Methodology The data was gathered on a multistage cluster sample of 684 undergraduate students of University of Zagreb, using a self-assessment questionnaire that included several Likert type scales for measuring each construct. Moderation effect of intergroup threat on ethnic prejudice was tested by using quasi-experimental research design. Participants in intervention group read a text that had purpose to emphasize perception of threat toward members of ethnic minorities, before they assess their attitudes toward them. Participants in comparative group were not exposed to this intervention. Results We tested theoretical model for predicting prejudice toward national minorities, using the structural equation modelling technique for analysis of the relations between predictors and criteria variables. Analysis of the relations between latent variables has shown that blatant prejudice toward national minorities can be explained with dispositions, identity and situational factors, while this was not the case for the subtle form of prejudice. Social dominance orientation and perception of symbolic intergroup threat were the only predictors that had significant direct effect on blatant prejudice, whereas authoritarianism and three forms of national attachment (national identity, nationalism and cosmopolitism) did not have a direct effect, on this form of prejudice toward national minorities. Authoritarianism, nationalism and social dominance orientation had a significant indirect effect on blatant prejudice toward national minorities via perception of intergroup threat. Subtle form of prejudice could not be explained significantly with this predictor set. Only social dominance orientation and anti-cosmopolitan orientation have had a weak direct effect. As expected, perception of symbolic intergroup threat mediated significantly the relations between dispositions and identity factors and blatant prejudice. Namely, intergroup threat fully mediated relations between authoritarianism and nationalism, and blatant prejudice toward national minorities. Intergroup threat also partially mediated relation between social dominance orientation and blatant prejudice toward national minorities. Moderation effect of intergroup threat did not prove to be significant, because the experimental manipulation was not successful. Conclusion The results mostly support findings from previous research that emphasizes the role of dispositions and specific context of intergroup relations in explaining prejudice. The present research has shown that prediction of prejudice toward national minorities should include consideration of different predictors so we can analyze their relative impact on prediction. For example, previous research has shown that nationalism, or authoritarianism should be considered as fundamental antecedents of prejudice, but in the present study, the intergroup threat has diminished both of their direct effect on blatant prejudice. In addition, this research has shown that, in comparison to blatant prejudice, subtle prejudice are truly different form of ethnic prejudice, while none of the predictors has shown significant direct effect on them. These finding should encourage future researchers to examine impact of some other individual or contextual factors that could contribute to understanding dynamics of these form of prejudice. Considering importance of studying intergroup relations between majority and minorities in society in this historical period of massive migration in Europe, we consider our findings relevant for better understanding of dynamics of disturbed intergroup relations. Our results show that blatant prejudice towards minority can be mainly explained with higher level of perceived symbolic intergroup threat and social dominance orientation, so practical implications of these results can be in promoting tolerance toward national minorities by reducing perceived cultural intergroup threat and changing attitudes that encourages social inequality and group hierarchy.

Actions (login required)

View Item