Ulrich Wagner
Biographic Data
| ID | 3655508 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Ulrich Wagner |
| GIVEN NAMES | Ulrich |
| FAMILY NAME | Wagner |
| SIGNATURE | WAGNER U |
| AFFILIATIONS | Philipps University of Marburg |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3311-8497 |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 42 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 1637 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 40 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1984 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 18 |
Intergroup Contact With Refugees Shapes Levels of Social Fear of Crime
Intergroup contact affects how people see the world more broadly. Across four studies ( N total = 1,743), we tested whether valenced intergroup contact with refugees as a criminally stigmatized group affects social fear of crime mediated by prejudice. Studies 1 (cross‐sectional) and 2 (longitudinal) showed an indirect effect of positive contact on social fear of crime via reduced prejudice and an opposite indirect effect of negative contact. Stud…
Psychologie der Rechtsradikalisierung: Theorien, Perspektiven, Prävention
Wie radikalisieren sich Menschen und warum ist die Empfänglichkeit für rechte Radikalisierungsdynamiken aktuell besonders hoch? Dieses Buch bietet Einblicke in die psychologische Forschung zu diesen Fragen. Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler stellen in prägnanter und verständlicher Weise Erkenntnisse und Forschungslücken dar. Die Beiträge diskutieren insbesondere die motivationale Bedeutung von Verlust- und Benachteiligungserfahrungen, das …
The Between-Person and Within-Person Effects of Intergroup Contact on Outgroup Attitudes: A Multi-Context Examination
The extensive literature on the contact hypothesis reports a positive association between intergroup contact and outgroup attitudes, yet it remains unknown whether this association reflects within-person (i.e., situational changes within individuals) or between-person (i.e., stable differences between individuals) effects. To investigate this question, we applied (random-intercept) cross-lagged panel models in two studies featuring different samp…
The effects of a psychiatric clerkship on stigmatizing attitudes toward mental disorders as held by German medical students
Our findings indicate that a psychiatric clerkship that involves students in direct interaction with patients may effectively reduce stigma. Therefore, we advocate the incorporation of components of direct interaction in medical education to combat stigma and unequal treatment, as this could improve outcomes in patients with severe mental illnesses
How do we get people into contact? Predictors of intergroup contact and drivers of contact seeking
Compared to the impressive amount of research on consequences of intergroup contact, relatively little work has been devoted to predictors of intergroup contact. Although opportunities for intergroup contact are constantly growing in modern diverse societies, these contact opportunities are not necessarily exploited. In the present review article, we describe current research on predictors of intergroup contact and drivers of contact seeking on a…
The dynamic relationship between contact opportunities, positive and negative intergroup contact, and prejudice: A longitudinal investigation
We investigated the dynamics of naturally increasing contact opportunities, frequencies of positive and negative intergroup contact experiences, and prejudice toward forced migrants, in 2 three-wave longitudinal studies (Study 1, N = 183, adult community sample; Study 2, N = 758, nation-wide adult probability sample) in Germany using latent growth curve and parallel process analyses. We examined (research question 1) whether prejudice increases o…
Proportion of Foreigners Negatively Predicts the Prevalence of Xenophobic Hate Crimes within German Districts
Statistics show that the increase in the number of refugees to Germany since 2015 was accompanied by an increase in xenophobic hate crimes. We deduced rivaling predictions from intergroup contact and intergroup threat theories that could explain the occurrence of xenophobic hate crimes. By combining structural data of the 402 German districts with the 2015 police crime statistics, we found evidence to support our predictions that aligns with inte…
Special Issue on “The Social Psychology of Forced Migration and Refugee Integration” in the European Journal of Social Psychology
Welcoming the Unwelcome: How Contact Shapes Contexts of Reception for New Immigrants in Germany and the United States
How receiving society members perceive and respond to immigration are crucial factors that shape the context of reception for immigrants coming to a new country. In this paper, we examine these processes through the lens of intergroup contact research, with a focus on relations between immigrants and members of receiving societies, to discern ways in which receiving societies are or are not welcoming toward immigrants. Reviewing recent theorizing…
Choose Your Words Wisely: Stereotypes, Emotions, and Action Tendencies Toward Fled People as a Function of the Group Label
Differences in word connotations can have far-reaching consequences. We investigated the content, and emotional and behavioral consequences of the social perception of fled people as a function of their label ("refugees" vs. "asylum seekers"; "war refugees" vs. "economic refugees" vs. "refugees") using a factorial survey (n = 389). Based on qualitative data on perceived intentions associated with the labels, we deducted predictions regarding diff…
Can we really reduce ethnic prejudice outside the lab? A meta‐analysis of direct and indirect contact interventions
The present meta‐analysis tested the effectiveness of contact‐based interventions for the reduction of ethnic prejudice. Up to now, a meta‐analysis summarizing the results of real‐world interventions that rest on the intergroup contact theory has been missing. We included evaluations of programs realizing direct (i.e., face‐to‐face) and/or indirect (i.e., extended or virtual) contact in real‐world settings outside the lab. The interventions' effe…
When immigrant groups “misbehave”: The influence of perceived deviant behavior on increased threat and discriminatory intentions and the moderating role of right‐wing authoritarianism
In two studies, we tested the relationship between non‐immigrant individuals' perceptions of deviant behavior carried out by Muslims and foreigners and discriminatory intentions towards these outgroups. Based on a longitudinal and a representative cross‐sectional sample, we showed that two different types of perceived deviant behavior (Study 1, Muslims' unwillingness to integrate; and Study 2, foreigners' hostility towards the non‐immigrant major…
"Who Are These Foreigners Anyway?" The Content of the Term Foreigner and Its Impact on Prejudice
The term foreigners is often used in prejudice research to analyze prejudice toward immigrants, but it is not specified which groups respondents have in mind. In the present study, we analyzed the content of the term foreigner and its impact on prejudice toward foreigners in a German national probability sample ( N = 1,763). Results indicated that most respondents think of people with a Turkish migration background, but regional differences betwe…
Side Effects of Multiculturalism: The Interaction Effect of a Multicultural Ideology and Authoritarianism on Prejudice and Diversity Beliefs
We studied the influence of right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) on the relationship between a multicultural ideology and attitudes about ethnic diversity and immigrants. We hypothesized that a multicultural ideology poses a threat to authoritarian individuals, which leads to a decrease in positive diversity beliefs and an increase in prejudice toward immigrants. On the basis of representative survey-data from 23 European countries, we showed that t…
Interkulturalität Im Arbeitsfeld Schule: Empirische Untersuchungen über Lehrer und Schüler
Unwilling, but not unaffected—Imagined contact effects for authoritarians and social dominators
According to a dual process model perspective, intergroup contact should be particularly effective for people high in right‐wing authoritarianism (RWA), but not for those high in social dominance orientation (SDO), because of different underlying motivational goals. In the present studies, we tested the hypothesis that imagined contact, that is, the mental representation of a positive intergroup encounter, improves intergroup relations for high R…
Valuable Therefore Not Threatening: The Influence of Diversity Beliefs on Discrimination Against Immigrants
Previous findings demonstrate that believing in the value of diverse groups is related to positive attitudes toward immigrants. Based on these results, we hypothesized that pro-diversity beliefs are negatively related to discrimination of immigrants. In a representative multinational survey study (Study 1; N = 6,500), we demonstrate that diversity beliefs of nonimmigrant citizens from seven different European countries are negatively related to t…
Secondary Transfer Effects of Intergroup Contact: A Cross-National Comparison in Europe
This article examines so-called secondary transfer effects of intergroup contact, a phenomenon whereby positive intergroup contact experiences can influence attitudes not only toward encountered (primary) outgroups but also toward other (secondary) outgroups that were not initially involved in the intergroup encounter. The current study relies on a unique cross-sectional sample of the general population drawn from eight European countries (N = 7,…
Beware of National Symbols: How Flags Can Threaten Intergroup Relations
The present research examined effects of exposure to the German flag on outgroup prejudice in Germany. In agreement with social identity theory, we demonstrated that exposure to the German flag increased outgroup prejudice among highly nationalistic German respondents. This finding seems to contradict prior research illustrating that exposure to the US flag reduced outgroup prejudice among highly nationalistic American respondents. This contradic…
Emotional Consequences of Collective Action Participation: Differentiating Self-Directed and Outgroup-Directed Emotions
The present research examines the emotional and behavioral consequences of collective action participation. It demonstrates that “positive” and “negative” emotions can be experienced simultaneously as a result of collective action participation, yet it is important to distinguish outgroup-directed from self-directed emotions. Results of two experiments ( N = 71 and N = 101) that manipulated participation in collective action illustrate that where…
Recent advances in intergroup contact theory
Direct Contact as a Moderator of Extended Contact Effects: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Impact on Outgroup Attitudes, Behavioral Intentions, and Attitude Certainty
Cross-group friendships (the most effective form of direct contact) and extended contact (i.e., knowing ingroup members who have outgroup friends) constitute two of the most important means of improving outgroup attitudes. Using cross-sectional and longitudinal samples from different intergroup contexts, this research demonstrates that extended contact is most effective when individuals live in segregated neighborhoods having only few, or no, dir…
Population Ratios and Prejudice: Modelling Both Contact and Threat Effects
Are small or large outgroup populations more closely related to an ingroup's prejudice? This paper addresses this question with national probability survey data from Germany focused on resident foreigners. Two interlocking processes underlie the complex relationship between population proportions and prejudice. Typically, larger outgroup population proportions simultaneously increase both threat and intergroup contact. The first process increases…
Doing gender differently—The interplay of strength of gender identification and content of gender identity in predicting women's endorsement of sexist beliefs
To explain differences in women's endorsement of sexist beliefs, we introduce the gender identity model (GIM). Based on social identity theory (SIT) and social role theory (SRT), we combine strength of gender identification and identity content and propose that different types of gender identity can be distinguished, which are predicted to relate to different levels of women's endorsement of sexist beliefs and engagement in collective action. Res…
Improving Intergroup Relations: Building on the Legacy of Thomas F. Pettigrew
Table of Contents. 1. Editor's Introduction: Ulrich Wagner (Philipps-University Marburg), Linda R. Tropp (University of Massachusetts, Amherst), Gillian Finchilescu (University of the Witwatersrand), and Colin Tredoux (University of Cape Town). 2. Thomas F. Pettigrew: Building on the Scholar-Activist Tradition in Social Psychology: Frances Cherry (Carleton University). Part I: Exploring the Causes of Prejudice and Discrimination:. 3. From Lewin a…
Recent advances in intergroup contact theory
Prejudice And Minority Proportion: Contact Instead Of Threat Effects
Research on the relationship between the percentage of an ethnic minority population in a geographically defined area and majority members' prejudice typically reveals a positive covariation. This result supports threat theory. Recent studies, however, have demonstrated significant exceptions. Based on intergroup contact theory, the present study demonstrates with a German probability sample that an increase in the percentage of ethnic minority m…
Regional Differences Matter: Examining the Dual Influence of the Regional Size of the Immigrant Population on Derogation of Immigrants in Europe
In this study, we examine which role the size of the immigrant population plays in explaining immigrant derogation within and between European regions. We draw upon group threat- and intergroup contact theory to consider the following question: does a larger size of immigrant population increase perceived group threat and thereby lead to greater immigrant derogation? Or does it increase intergroup contact and thereby ameliorate immigrant derogati…
Acculturation and Prejudice in Germany: Majority and Minority Perspectives
This article explores the connections between prejudice and specific attitudes toward acculturation in Germany. Results of surveys confirm the hypothesis that prejudice is related to ideologies of assimilation and segregation among majority‐ group members. Moreover, experimental and correlational studies indicate that these attitudes are linked to discriminatory behavior. Further analyses of studies with ethnic minorities prove that prejudice and…
Can we really reduce ethnic prejudice outside the lab? A meta‐analysis of direct and indirect contact interventions
The present meta‐analysis tested the effectiveness of contact‐based interventions for the reduction of ethnic prejudice. Up to now, a meta‐analysis summarizing the results of real‐world interventions that rest on the intergroup contact theory has been missing. We included evaluations of programs realizing direct (i.e., face‐to‐face) and/or indirect (i.e., extended or virtual) contact in real‐world settings outside the lab. The interventions' effe…
The relation of formal education to ethnic prejudice: Its reliability, validity and explanation
This paper examines three issues concerning the frequently documented negative correlation between formal education and ethnic prejudice, namely its reliability, its validity and the manner in which it is mediated. Reliability is demonstrated across three indices of ethnic attitudes in seven representative samples drawn from four European countries (West Germany, Netherlands, France, Great Britain; total N =3788). The hypothesis that this correla…
Direct and indirect intergroup contact effects on prejudice: A normative interpretation
Population Ratios and Prejudice: Modelling Both Contact and Threat Effects
Are small or large outgroup populations more closely related to an ingroup's prejudice? This paper addresses this question with national probability survey data from Germany focused on resident foreigners. Two interlocking processes underlie the complex relationship between population proportions and prejudice. Typically, larger outgroup population proportions simultaneously increase both threat and intergroup contact. The first process increases…
Relative Deprivation and Intergroup Prejudice
Using three diverse European surveys, we test the relationship between relative deprivation (RD) and anti‐immigrant prejudice. We find that both group relative deprivation (GRD) and individual relative deprivation (IRD) are found primarily among working‐class respondents who are politically alienated. We also find that GRD, but not IRD, serves as a proximal correlate of prejudice. IRD's effects on prejudice are largely mediated through GRD. In ad…
Who Opposes Immigration: Comparing German With North American Findings
Are the predictors of anti-immigration attitudes consistent across countries with diverse immigration histories and policies? We hypothesize that the key predictors of opposition to immigration are indeed relatively consistent across industrial nations. We test this hypothesis with two surveys using probability samples of German citizens. We then compare our findings with those obtained in recent studies of immigration opinions in Europe generall…
Ethnic Prejudice and Discrimination in Europe
This article provides an introduction to research on European prejudice and discrimination. First, we list the distinctive characteristics of a European perspective and provide a short sketch of European immigration and ethnic groups. Europe has become a multicultural community. Nevertheless, public opinion and the continent's politics often do not reflect this empirical fact. Prejudice and discrimination directed at immigrants are a widespread p…
Contact and Prejudice Between Germans and Turks: A Correlational Study
The reported study investigated the relationship between prejudice and intergroup contact for German and Turkish pupils (age 15 years) in the Federal Republic of Germany. A distinction was drawn between “opportunities for” and “real uses of” contact, operationalized using path analysis, and hypotheses were tested concerning the way contact in the neighborhood, at school, and in leisure time is related to prejudice. As predicted, leisure time cont…
Perceptions of national identity and attitudes toward immigrants and immigration in Canada and Germany
Secondary Transfer Effects of Intergroup Contact: A Cross-National Comparison in Europe
This article examines so-called secondary transfer effects of intergroup contact, a phenomenon whereby positive intergroup contact experiences can influence attitudes not only toward encountered (primary) outgroups but also toward other (secondary) outgroups that were not initially involved in the intergroup encounter. The current study relies on a unique cross-sectional sample of the general population drawn from eight European countries (N = 7,…
Role of Perceived Importance in Intergroup Contact
Furthering G. W. Allport's contentions for optimal contact, the authors introduce a new construct: the perceived importance of contact. They propose that perceived importance is the best proximal predictor of contact's reduction of prejudice. If individuals have opportunities for contact at work or in the neighborhood, their chances to have intergroup acquaintances and friends increase. Intergroup contact among acquaintances and friends can be pe…
How do we get people into contact? Predictors of intergroup contact and drivers of contact seeking
Compared to the impressive amount of research on consequences of intergroup contact, relatively little work has been devoted to predictors of intergroup contact. Although opportunities for intergroup contact are constantly growing in modern diverse societies, these contact opportunities are not necessarily exploited. In the present review article, we describe current research on predictors of intergroup contact and drivers of contact seeking on a…
Choose Your Words Wisely: Stereotypes, Emotions, and Action Tendencies Toward Fled People as a Function of the Group Label
Differences in word connotations can have far-reaching consequences. We investigated the content, and emotional and behavioral consequences of the social perception of fled people as a function of their label ("refugees" vs. "asylum seekers"; "war refugees" vs. "economic refugees" vs. "refugees") using a factorial survey (n = 389). Based on qualitative data on perceived intentions associated with the labels, we deducted predictions regarding diff…
Prejudice and Group‐Related Behavior in Germany
This article analyses the relationship of ethnic prejudice and discriminatory behavioral intentions in Germany. We utilize two representative surveys conducted in 2002 and 2004 (N= 2,722 and 1,383, respectively) as well as a longitudinal study with three annual measurement points (2002–2004; N= 825). Results show that prejudice is substantially correlated with the respondents' reports of their own discriminatory intentions (R= .33 to .49). Contro…
The dynamic relationship between contact opportunities, positive and negative intergroup contact, and prejudice: A longitudinal investigation
We investigated the dynamics of naturally increasing contact opportunities, frequencies of positive and negative intergroup contact experiences, and prejudice toward forced migrants, in 2 three-wave longitudinal studies (Study 1, N = 183, adult community sample; Study 2, N = 758, nation-wide adult probability sample) in Germany using latent growth curve and parallel process analyses. We examined (research question 1) whether prejudice increases o…
"Who Are These Foreigners Anyway?" The Content of the Term Foreigner and Its Impact on Prejudice
The term foreigners is often used in prejudice research to analyze prejudice toward immigrants, but it is not specified which groups respondents have in mind. In the present study, we analyzed the content of the term foreigner and its impact on prejudice toward foreigners in a German national probability sample ( N = 1,763). Results indicated that most respondents think of people with a Turkish migration background, but regional differences betwe…
Improving Intergroup Relations: Building on the Legacy of Thomas F. Pettigrew
Table of Contents. 1. Editor's Introduction: Ulrich Wagner (Philipps-University Marburg), Linda R. Tropp (University of Massachusetts, Amherst), Gillian Finchilescu (University of the Witwatersrand), and Colin Tredoux (University of Cape Town). 2. Thomas F. Pettigrew: Building on the Scholar-Activist Tradition in Social Psychology: Frances Cherry (Carleton University). Part I: Exploring the Causes of Prejudice and Discrimination:. 3. From Lewin a…
Welcoming the Unwelcome: How Contact Shapes Contexts of Reception for New Immigrants in Germany and the United States
How receiving society members perceive and respond to immigration are crucial factors that shape the context of reception for immigrants coming to a new country. In this paper, we examine these processes through the lens of intergroup contact research, with a focus on relations between immigrants and members of receiving societies, to discern ways in which receiving societies are or are not welcoming toward immigrants. Reviewing recent theorizing…
Doing gender differently—The interplay of strength of gender identification and content of gender identity in predicting women's endorsement of sexist beliefs
To explain differences in women's endorsement of sexist beliefs, we introduce the gender identity model (GIM). Based on social identity theory (SIT) and social role theory (SRT), we combine strength of gender identification and identity content and propose that different types of gender identity can be distinguished, which are predicted to relate to different levels of women's endorsement of sexist beliefs and engagement in collective action. Res…
Unwilling, but not unaffected—Imagined contact effects for authoritarians and social dominators
According to a dual process model perspective, intergroup contact should be particularly effective for people high in right‐wing authoritarianism (RWA), but not for those high in social dominance orientation (SDO), because of different underlying motivational goals. In the present studies, we tested the hypothesis that imagined contact, that is, the mental representation of a positive intergroup encounter, improves intergroup relations for high R…
Beware of National Symbols: How Flags Can Threaten Intergroup Relations
The present research examined effects of exposure to the German flag on outgroup prejudice in Germany. In agreement with social identity theory, we demonstrated that exposure to the German flag increased outgroup prejudice among highly nationalistic German respondents. This finding seems to contradict prior research illustrating that exposure to the US flag reduced outgroup prejudice among highly nationalistic American respondents. This contradic…
Links between Educational Status and Prejudice: Ethnic Attitudes in West Germany
Contact and Prejudice Between Germans and Turks: A Correlational Study
The reported study investigated the relationship between prejudice and intergroup contact for German and Turkish pupils (age 15 years) in the Federal Republic of Germany. A distinction was drawn between “opportunities for” and “real uses of” contact, operationalized using path analysis, and hypotheses were tested concerning the way contact in the neighborhood, at school, and in leisure time is related to prejudice. As predicted, leisure time cont…
The relation of formal education to ethnic prejudice: Its reliability, validity and explanation
This paper examines three issues concerning the frequently documented negative correlation between formal education and ethnic prejudice, namely its reliability, its validity and the manner in which it is mediated. Reliability is demonstrated across three indices of ethnic attitudes in seven representative samples drawn from four European countries (West Germany, Netherlands, France, Great Britain; total N =3788). The hypothesis that this correla…
Outgroup Prejudice in Western Europe
Outgroup prejudice has been a major area for social psychological applications. Yet European social psychology has not widely studied prejudice against the continent's new minorities. These groups provide a useful comparison with which to test generalizations concerning prejudice derived largely on African-Americans. This chapter advances two interrelated hypotheses: (1) The universality hypothesis predicts that social psychological factors opera…
Acculturation and Prejudice in Germany: Majority and Minority Perspectives
This article explores the connections between prejudice and specific attitudes toward acculturation in Germany. Results of surveys confirm the hypothesis that prejudice is related to ideologies of assimilation and segregation among majority‐ group members. Moreover, experimental and correlational studies indicate that these attitudes are linked to discriminatory behavior. Further analyses of studies with ethnic minorities prove that prejudice and…
Stress and strain in teaching: A structural equation approach
Background. School teaching seems to be particularly stressful. The stress model of Lazarus and colleagues and its adaptation to educational settings by Kyriacou and Sutcliffe is the basis for an analysis of antecedents and consequences of teacher stress. Aims. The first aim was to test the theoretical model of teacher stress on a large sample using structural equation statistics (study I). The results should then be cross-validated and the model…
When teachers go the extra mile: Foci of organisational identification as determinants of different forms of organisational citizenship behaviour among schoolteachers
Background: Psychological variables should play an important role in determining teachers' involvement in behaviours not directly or formally forced by contracts. Organisational identification as proposed from the Social Identity Approach is examined as a possible determinant of organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) among schoolteachers.Aim: The aim of the present study was to explore the relationships between different foci of organisationa…
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Explaining Turnover Intentions with Organizational Identification and Job Satisfaction
The social identity approach is a powerful theoretical framework for the understanding of individuals' behaviour. The main argument is that individuals think and act on behalf of the group they belong to because this group membership adds to their social identity, which partly determines one's self‐esteem. In the organizational world, social identity and self‐categorization theories state that a strong organizational identification is associated …
Role of Perceived Importance in Intergroup Contact
Furthering G. W. Allport's contentions for optimal contact, the authors introduce a new construct: the perceived importance of contact. They propose that perceived importance is the best proximal predictor of contact's reduction of prejudice. If individuals have opportunities for contact at work or in the neighborhood, their chances to have intergroup acquaintances and friends increase. Intergroup contact among acquaintances and friends can be pe…
Prejudice And Minority Proportion: Contact Instead Of Threat Effects
Research on the relationship between the percentage of an ethnic minority population in a geographically defined area and majority members' prejudice typically reveals a positive covariation. This result supports threat theory. Recent studies, however, have demonstrated significant exceptions. Based on intergroup contact theory, the present study demonstrates with a German probability sample that an increase in the percentage of ethnic minority m…
Perceptions of national identity and attitudes toward immigrants and immigration in Canada and Germany
Direct and indirect intergroup contact effects on prejudice: A normative interpretation
Who Opposes Immigration: Comparing German With North American Findings
Are the predictors of anti-immigration attitudes consistent across countries with diverse immigration histories and policies? We hypothesize that the key predictors of opposition to immigration are indeed relatively consistent across industrial nations. We test this hypothesis with two surveys using probability samples of German citizens. We then compare our findings with those obtained in recent studies of immigration opinions in Europe generall…
Improving Intergroup Relations: Building on the Legacy of Thomas F. Pettigrew
Table of Contents. 1. Editor's Introduction: Ulrich Wagner (Philipps-University Marburg), Linda R. Tropp (University of Massachusetts, Amherst), Gillian Finchilescu (University of the Witwatersrand), and Colin Tredoux (University of Cape Town). 2. Thomas F. Pettigrew: Building on the Scholar-Activist Tradition in Social Psychology: Frances Cherry (Carleton University). Part I: Exploring the Causes of Prejudice and Discrimination:. 3. From Lewin a…
Ethnic Prejudice and Discrimination in Europe
This article provides an introduction to research on European prejudice and discrimination. First, we list the distinctive characteristics of a European perspective and provide a short sketch of European immigration and ethnic groups. Europe has become a multicultural community. Nevertheless, public opinion and the continent's politics often do not reflect this empirical fact. Prejudice and discrimination directed at immigrants are a widespread p…
Relative Deprivation and Intergroup Prejudice
Using three diverse European surveys, we test the relationship between relative deprivation (RD) and anti‐immigrant prejudice. We find that both group relative deprivation (GRD) and individual relative deprivation (IRD) are found primarily among working‐class respondents who are politically alienated. We also find that GRD, but not IRD, serves as a proximal correlate of prejudice. IRD's effects on prejudice are largely mediated through GRD. In ad…
Prejudice and Group‐Related Behavior in Germany
This article analyses the relationship of ethnic prejudice and discriminatory behavioral intentions in Germany. We utilize two representative surveys conducted in 2002 and 2004 (N= 2,722 and 1,383, respectively) as well as a longitudinal study with three annual measurement points (2002–2004; N= 825). Results show that prejudice is substantially correlated with the respondents' reports of their own discriminatory intentions (R= .33 to .49). Contro…
Regional Differences Matter: Examining the Dual Influence of the Regional Size of the Immigrant Population on Derogation of Immigrants in Europe
In this study, we examine which role the size of the immigrant population plays in explaining immigrant derogation within and between European regions. We draw upon group threat- and intergroup contact theory to consider the following question: does a larger size of immigrant population increase perceived group threat and thereby lead to greater immigrant derogation? Or does it increase intergroup contact and thereby ameliorate immigrant derogati…
Doing gender differently—The interplay of strength of gender identification and content of gender identity in predicting women's endorsement of sexist beliefs
To explain differences in women's endorsement of sexist beliefs, we introduce the gender identity model (GIM). Based on social identity theory (SIT) and social role theory (SRT), we combine strength of gender identification and identity content and propose that different types of gender identity can be distinguished, which are predicted to relate to different levels of women's endorsement of sexist beliefs and engagement in collective action. Res…
Direct Contact as a Moderator of Extended Contact Effects: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Impact on Outgroup Attitudes, Behavioral Intentions, and Attitude Certainty
Cross-group friendships (the most effective form of direct contact) and extended contact (i.e., knowing ingroup members who have outgroup friends) constitute two of the most important means of improving outgroup attitudes. Using cross-sectional and longitudinal samples from different intergroup contexts, this research demonstrates that extended contact is most effective when individuals live in segregated neighborhoods having only few, or no, dir…
Population Ratios and Prejudice: Modelling Both Contact and Threat Effects
Are small or large outgroup populations more closely related to an ingroup's prejudice? This paper addresses this question with national probability survey data from Germany focused on resident foreigners. Two interlocking processes underlie the complex relationship between population proportions and prejudice. Typically, larger outgroup population proportions simultaneously increase both threat and intergroup contact. The first process increases…
Emotional Consequences of Collective Action Participation: Differentiating Self-Directed and Outgroup-Directed Emotions
The present research examines the emotional and behavioral consequences of collective action participation. It demonstrates that “positive” and “negative” emotions can be experienced simultaneously as a result of collective action participation, yet it is important to distinguish outgroup-directed from self-directed emotions. Results of two experiments ( N = 71 and N = 101) that manipulated participation in collective action illustrate that where…
Recent advances in intergroup contact theory
Valuable Therefore Not Threatening: The Influence of Diversity Beliefs on Discrimination Against Immigrants
Previous findings demonstrate that believing in the value of diverse groups is related to positive attitudes toward immigrants. Based on these results, we hypothesized that pro-diversity beliefs are negatively related to discrimination of immigrants. In a representative multinational survey study (Study 1; N = 6,500), we demonstrate that diversity beliefs of nonimmigrant citizens from seven different European countries are negatively related to t…
Secondary Transfer Effects of Intergroup Contact: A Cross-National Comparison in Europe
This article examines so-called secondary transfer effects of intergroup contact, a phenomenon whereby positive intergroup contact experiences can influence attitudes not only toward encountered (primary) outgroups but also toward other (secondary) outgroups that were not initially involved in the intergroup encounter. The current study relies on a unique cross-sectional sample of the general population drawn from eight European countries (N = 7,…
Psychology (37 works) · Social and Intergroup Psychology (34 works) · Social Psychology (31 works) · Cultural Differences and Values (21 works) · Political science (20 works) · Sociology (14 works) · Contact hypothesis (13 works) · Contact theory (12 works) · Social Psychology (12 works) · Developmental psychology (11 works)