European Journal of Social Psychology
Volume 48, Issue 4, 2018, Pages 447-459

The role of threat, emotions, and prejudice in promoting collective action against immigrant groups (Article)

Shepherd L.* , Fasoli F. , Pereira A. , Branscombe N.R.
  • a Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
  • b School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
  • c Psychology Department, New York UniversityNY, United States
  • d Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States

Abstract

In two studies we assessed the role of distinctiveness threat, group-based emotions (angst, fear, and anger), and prejudice on people's willingness to engage in collective action against immigrant groups. In Study 1 (N = 222) White British participants were either informed that in the next 40 years the proportion of immigrants in the UK is unlikely to change (control condition) or that there will be more immigrants than White British people living in Britain (threat condition). We obtained support for a sequential multiple mediator model in which threat predicted British people's willingness to engage in collective action via the emotions first and then prejudice. This finding was replicated in Study 2 with an Italian sample (N = 283). These results enhance understanding of when and why advantaged groups undertake collective action against disadvantaged groups by demonstrating that distinctiveness threats and emotions promote such actions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Author Keywords

Prejudice angst Fear Anger threat Collective action

Index Keywords

Prejudice male controlled study British citizen female major clinical study immigrant anger mediator Great Britain Fear Article human adult
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85048024854&doi=10.1002%2fejsp.2346&partnerID=40&md5=75c11e89ffb73e0d3ab3cc7808d22181
DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2346
ISSN: 00462772
Cited by: 4
Original Language: English