Prejudice toward immigrant workers among Dutch employees: integrated threat theory revisited

Abstract

Integrated Threat Theory (ITT) (Stephan & Stephan, 1993, 1996 describes four types of threats as mediators in the relation between antecedent factors (previous intergroup conflict, intergroup contact, status inequalities, in-group identification, knowledge about the out-group, and intergroup contact) and prejudice. The four mediating types of threats, which influence prejudice according to ITT are: intergroup anxiety, negative stereotyping, realistic and symbolic threats. In this study, the ITT model was tested using structural equation modeling on data collected in sample of 187 Dutch employees. Two alternative explanatory models are proposed in which, first intergroup anxiety and then negative stereotyping mediate the relation between the other ITT threats and prejudice. The data show a good fit with the model in which negative stereotypes are considered as mediator variable. The implications of these findings for ITT are discussed in the context of recent theoretical developments in the study of stereotypes and prejudice.

Measuring employee perception on the effects of cultural diversity at work: development of the Benefits and Threats of Diversity Scale

“…Thirdly, intergroup anxiety is defined as a negative feeling of in-group members when anticipating or experiencing contact with out-group members (Curseu et al 2007). Several studies have shown that this form of anxiety may lead to exaggerated cognitive, affective and behavioral reactions towards diversity (see Staw et al 1981).…”

“…These effects may impede the work process and in turn decrease innovation and creativity (Van der Zee and Paulus 2008;Paulus and Nijstad 2003). Furthermore, prejudice towards minority employees (particularly immigrants) often ascribes them lower language proficiency, or lesser education (Choenni 2007;Curseu et al 2007). As such, inclusion of minority employees may be perceived as a potential risk to team effectiveness.…”

Imagining intergroup contact promotes projection to outgroups

“…The interaction and co-existence of groups that differ in terms of nationality, ethnicity, religion is in many cases problematic (e.g., Curseu, Stoop, & Schalk, 2007;Greenland & Brown, 2005;Stephan, Ybarra, & Bachman, 1999;Zagefka, Brown, Broquard, & Leventoglu Martin, 2007). The most influential social psychological theory focusing on reducing conflict between different groups is Intergroup Contact Theory (Allport, 1954;Pettigrew, 1998).…”

Values and Hostile Intent Attribution to Out-Groups within China-Apan Relations: The Mediating Role of Perceived Threats

“…Similarly, nationalism, which advocates the importance of maintaining cultural values, has been associated with perceived threats (Ljujic, Vedder, Dekker, & Geel, 2013). Second, several empirical studies have shown that perceptions of symbolic and realistic threats play important underlying roles in fostering prejudice against out-groups (Riek et al, 2006, Curseu, Stoop, & Schalk, 2007Ljujic et al, 2013). Perceived threats readily induce psychological distress.…”