The role of ingroup threat and conservative ideologies on prejudice against immigrants in two samples of Italian adults

ABSTRACT

This research investigated the relationship among perception of ingroup threats (realistic and symbolic), conservative ideologies (social dominance orientation [SDO] and right-wing authoritarianism [RWA]), and prejudice against immigrants. Data were collected with a cross-sectional design in two samples: non-student Italian adults (n = 223) and healthcare professionals (n = 679). Results were similar in both samples and indicated that symbolic and realistic threats, as well as SDO and RWA, positively and significantly predicted anti-immigrant prejudice. Moreover, the model considering SDO and RWA as mediators of threats’ effects on prejudice showed a better fit than the model in which ingroup threats mediated the effects of SDO and RWA on prejudice against immigrants. Accordingly, SDO and RWA partially mediated the effect of both symbolic and realistic threats, which maintained a significant effect on prejudice against immigrants, however.

KEYWORDS:

• Conservative ideologies
• immigrants
• ingroup threat
• prejudice
• right-wing authoritarianism
• social dominance orientation

Notes

1. One reviewer raised the issue that the content of items measuring symbolic and realistic threats may partially overlap the content of those measuring modern prejudice. Given that this may be the case, we assessed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) whether a correlated three-dimensional structure (i.e., realistic and symbolic threat and modern prejudice) fitted the data better than a one-dimensional model in which all items were intended to measure the same latent construct. For both samples, CFA evidenced that the three-dimensional model has better fit than the one-dimensional model (Δχ²(3) = 21.03, p < .001, and Δχ²(3) = 108.50, p < .001, for lay people and healthcare professionals, respectively), suggesting that threats and modern prejudice were different, albeit related, measures.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Luca Caricati

Luca Caricati and Tiziana Mancini are affiliated with the Department of Arts and Literature, History and Social Studies, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. 

Tiziana Mancini

Luca Caricati and Tiziana Mancini are affiliated with the Department of Arts and Literature, History and Social Studies, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. 

Giuseppe Marletta

Giuseppe Marletta is affiliated with the Azienda Osperdaliero-Universitaria of Parma, Parma, Italy.