Media Exposure to Terrorism and Perception of Immigrants as a Threat: The Role of Emotional Intelligence and Psychophysiological Self‐Regulation

Abstract

To better understand how media exposure to terrorism‐related images can lead to perceiving immigrants as more threatening, in the present study we manipulated participants’ exposure to media coverage of terrorist attacks and investigated how this may influence people's perception of Arab immigrants. Considering the important role of regulatory abilities when facing stressful events like terrorist attacks, we measured individual differences in both trait emotional intelligence and resting heart rate variability (HRV). Results showed that participants perceived Arab immigrants as more threatening in the media exposure condition than in the control condition. Importantly, there were moderating effects of both trait emotional intelligence and HRV. People with lower trait emotional intelligence or lower HRV at rest felt more threatened in the media exposure condition compared to the control condition, whereas this effect was not observed among participants with higher trait emotional intelligence or higher resting HRV. The present study highlights some of the complexities related to how media exposure to terrorism‐related images influences people's reactions to, and evaluations of, an outgroup that is related to the perpetrators of the attacks.

Efficacy of a cultural adaptation of theIdentity Projectintervention among adolescents attending multiethnic classrooms in Italy: A randomized controlled trial

“…However, according to the Eurobarometer (European Commission, 2018), almost half of the Italian respondents (46%) consider immigrants as having a negative impact on society, and only 21% have a totally positive perception, whereas in Germany 27% of respondents report a negative perception and 44% a completely positive perception. These differences reflect an overall ambivalent attitude toward immigrants in Italy, with the media often perpetuating negative stereotypes and spreading narratives of migration associated with illegality and crime (Rubaltelli et al, 2020).…”

“…This is particularly true in recent receiving countries like Italy, where immigration is still perceived as a new and potentially threatening phenomenon by the local population. Politicians and the media often amplify these negative sentiments, contributing to the perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudice through the use of a narrative emphasizing fear and societal insecurity (Rubaltelli et al, 2020). In addition, the COVID-19 outbreak has further intensified socioeconomic disparities and discriminatory acts against members of ethnic minorities and immigrants (Cheah et al, 2020).…”