Social and economic ideologies differentially predict prejudice across the political spectrum, but social issues are most divisive.

Abstract

Liberals and conservatives both express prejudice toward ideologically dissimilar others . Previous work on ideological prejudice did not take advantage of evidence showing that ideology is multi-dimensional, with social and economic ideologies representing related but separable belief systems. In five studies (total N = 4912), we test three competing hypotheses of a multi-dimensional account of ideological prejudice. The dimension-specific symmetry hypothesis predicts that social and economic ideologies differentially predict prejudice against targets who are perceived to vary on the social and economic political dimensions, respectively.The social primacy hypothesis predicts that such ideological worldview conflict is experienced more strongly along the social than economic dimension. The social-specific asymmetry hypothesis predicts that social conservatives will be more prejudiced than social liberals, with no specific hypotheses for the economic dimension. Using multiple target groups, multiple prejudice measures (e.g., global evaluations, behavior), and multiple social and economic ideology measures (self-placement, issue positions), we found relatively consistent support for the dimension-specific symmetry and social primacy hypotheses, and no support for the socialspecific asymmetry hypothesis. These results suggest that worldview conflict and negative intergroup attitudes and behaviors are dimension-specific, but that the social dimension appears to inspire more political conflict than the economic dimension.

Right‐ and left‐wing prejudice toward dissimilar groups in cultural and economic domains

“…However, as stated in the social primacy hypothesis (Crawford et al, 2017), the effects for the cultural dimension should be stronger than for the economic dimension. Thus, in Study 1 we measured political beliefs, the perception of value violation, and attitudes toward a range of groups.…”

“…In this vein, Crawford et al (2017) demonstrated that cultural and economic beliefs differentially predict prejudice toward groups with dissimilar beliefs. They showed that indeed the two dimensions of political beliefs independently predict attitudes toward groups on the other side of the political spectrum (dimensionspecific symmetry hypothesis).…”

“…However, in most of the research conducted within the ideological conflict hypothesis, apart from Crawford et al (2017), political beliefs were measured by means of ideological self-placement (e.g., Chambers et al, 2013;Crawford & Pilanski, 2014;Wetherell et al, 2013) or by only one dimension of political beliefs (e.g., Crawford, 2014). However, in most of the research conducted within the ideological conflict hypothesis, apart from Crawford et al (2017), political beliefs were measured by means of ideological self-placement (e.g., Chambers et al, 2013;Crawford & Pilanski, 2014;Wetherell et al, 2013) or by only one dimension of political beliefs (e.g., Crawford, 2014).…”

Partisan selective exposure: The role of party, ideology and ideological extremity over time.

“…Rokeach (1954) argued that tendencies toward rigidity and authoritarianism were present in extreme partisans of both the left and the right. Research inspired by this ideological symmetry view has shown that several mechanisms supposedly distinctive of conservatism operate across ideological differences with equivalent intensity, such as tough-mindedness (Eysenck, 1956), dogmatism (Rokeach, 1954), motivated reasoning (Taber & Lodge, 2006) and prejudice (Brandt, Reyna, Chambers, Crawford, & Wetherell, 2014;Crawford, Brandt, Inbar, Chambers, & Motyl, 2017). Specifically addressing selective exposure, Frimer et al analyzed individuals' unwillingness to engage in a crosscutting ideological conversation and found that ideology does not significantly moderate this effect (Frimer, Skitka, & Motyl, 2017, see Figure 6).…”

Predicting Ideological Prejudice

“…Conservatives tend to express prejudice toward groups perceived as liberal, and liberals tend to express prejudice toward groups perceived as conservative. This is because these groups hold values that are in opposition (Crawford, Brandt, Inbar, Chambers, & Motyl, 2017; Wetherell, Brandt, & Reyna, 2013). I also included a measure of perceived conventionalism as an alternative, less direct measure of value dissimilarity on the political dimension.…”