Despite the recent multidimensional conceptualisations of social identities, previous research on the relationship between ingroup identification and outgroup attitudes has approached the former mainly through the strength of cognitive-emotional identification. In our study among Russian-speaking immigrants living in Finland (N=312), we focused on the direct and interactive effects of the strength of ethnic identification and perceived ethnic superiority on immigrants' support for multiculturalism and outgroup attitudes towards national majority. First, we found perceived ethnic superiority to be directly and negatively associated with outgroup attitudes. Second, we found a positive relationship between ethnic identification and support for multiculturalism only when ethnic superiority was not perceived. The results highlight the different ramifications of high ethnic identification and perceived superiority and speak for the destructive attitudinal effects of the latter. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

Ethnic identification Outgroup attitudes Perceived superiority Support for multiculturalism

Russia cultural anthropology Cultural Diversity social distance Finland psychological aspect Caucasian Social Identification human Ethnic Groups ethnic group language ethnology Support for multiculturalism Humans migrant attitude chi square distribution male Chi-Square Distribution Emigrants and Immigrants female Article adult European Continental Ancestry Group Ethnic identification Perceived superiority Outgroup attitudes Russian Federation social behavior