TY - JOUR
T1 - The spillover effect of implicit immigrant stereotypes and incidental pandemic threat
AU - Duque, Maria
AU - De Coninck, David
AU - Montero-Zamora, Pablo
AU - Sahbaz, Sumeyra
AU - Bautista, Tara
AU - Ertanir, Beyhan
AU - Garcia, Maria F.
AU - Alpysbekova, Aigerim
AU - Scaramutti, Carolina
AU - Laboy, Madison
AU - Vo, Duyen
AU - Acaf, Yara
AU - Vignoles, Vivian
AU - Schwartz, Seth J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2024/3
Y1 - 2024/3
N2 - The uncertainty brought about by COVID-19 in times of mass migration adds an extra layer of perceived threat and competition for resources among host residents in migrant-receiving societies. This convergence of perceived threat potentially exacerbates implicit stereotypes about immigrants and can increase intergroup discord. We used panel data and a linear structural equation model to assess the distinct indirect effects of prejudice, as well as positive and negative intergroup emotions, within the associations of contact with immigrants and perceived COVID-19 threat (not directly related to immigrants) among host residents from 7 European countries, the United States, and Colombia (total N = 13,645). In addition, we examined potential underlying explanations regarding the role that implicit stereotypes of immigrants as disease carriers/spreaders (spillover effect) may play within the aforementioned associations. We introduce the concept of incidental intergroup threat to refer to the spillover of implicit immigrant stereotypes as disease spreaders onto emotional responses related to the presence of newcomers and pandemic threat perceptions. Our findings offer novel evidence that intergroup emotions exert indirect effects, above and beyond the effects of prejudice, vis-à-vis the association between intergroup contact and incidental pandemic threat. These results also suggest that, during global health disasters, spillover effects may yield incidental intergroup threats. Future interventions designed to address intergroup exclusionary reactions during disease pandemics could benefit from integrating threat regulation strategies into efforts to prevent spillover effects and incidental intergroup threats within immigrantreceiving societies.
AB - The uncertainty brought about by COVID-19 in times of mass migration adds an extra layer of perceived threat and competition for resources among host residents in migrant-receiving societies. This convergence of perceived threat potentially exacerbates implicit stereotypes about immigrants and can increase intergroup discord. We used panel data and a linear structural equation model to assess the distinct indirect effects of prejudice, as well as positive and negative intergroup emotions, within the associations of contact with immigrants and perceived COVID-19 threat (not directly related to immigrants) among host residents from 7 European countries, the United States, and Colombia (total N = 13,645). In addition, we examined potential underlying explanations regarding the role that implicit stereotypes of immigrants as disease carriers/spreaders (spillover effect) may play within the aforementioned associations. We introduce the concept of incidental intergroup threat to refer to the spillover of implicit immigrant stereotypes as disease spreaders onto emotional responses related to the presence of newcomers and pandemic threat perceptions. Our findings offer novel evidence that intergroup emotions exert indirect effects, above and beyond the effects of prejudice, vis-à-vis the association between intergroup contact and incidental pandemic threat. These results also suggest that, during global health disasters, spillover effects may yield incidental intergroup threats. Future interventions designed to address intergroup exclusionary reactions during disease pandemics could benefit from integrating threat regulation strategies into efforts to prevent spillover effects and incidental intergroup threats within immigrantreceiving societies.
KW - COVID-19 Pandemic
KW - Implicit stereotype
KW - Intergroup contact
KW - Intergroup emotions
KW - Intergroup threat
KW - Prejudice
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2024.101939
DO - 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2024.101939
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85184894236
SN - 0147-1767
VL - 99
JO - International Journal of Intercultural Relations
JF - International Journal of Intercultural Relations
M1 - 101939
ER -