Living together: An integrated acculturation–contact strategy to promote ethnic harmony between young British Muslims and Anglo-Britons

Acculturation theorists have proposed that minority and majority members’ endorsement of the cultural integration orientation should positively impact their mutual intergroup relations. To examine this claim, the study develops and experimentally tests a vicarious intercultural contact strategy designed to promote integration endorsement among a sample of 379 British youths (aged between 18 and 21 years), of whom 172 were British Muslims and 207 were White British. In line with theoretical expectations, results revealed that integration attained through vicarious contact, relative to a control condition, reduced respondents’ negative emotions, increased their positive emotions and inclusion of the other in the self (IOS), and improved their outgroup attitudes. These effects were only present in the Muslim group. Integration effects on outgroup attitude outcomes were mediated by intergroup emotions and IOS. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

MEASURING PSYCHOSOCIAL TRAUMA: A NEW INSTRUMENT

The aim of this study was the design and validation of a Psychosocial Trauma Scale (PSTS). This instrument tried to capture the following theoretical dimensions: Pre-traumatic Situation, Destruction of Fundamental Beliefs; Intergroup Emotions, and Family and Community Destruction. In a first phase, we gather evidence for the items designed through content validation with experts. In a second phase, we explore the structure with EFA, reducing the number of items. The last phase was a divergent validation, applying the short version of PSTS with other validation scales (symptomatology of post-traumatic stress, psychological well-being, and social well-being). METHOD. A cross-sectional study was conducted, consisting of 382 individuals affected by political violence: civil war in El Salvador, forced displacement from Colombia, and victims of state violence from Chile. RESULTS. The content validation utilized 81 forms with 146 original items. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the PSTS had an internal structure partially differing from the one proposed, with two new emerging dimensions: Destruction of Sociality and Personal and Collective Self-Efficacy. The four dimensions found for PSTS were Pre-traumatic Situation, Destruction of Sociality, Personal and Collective Self-Efficacy and Intergroup Emotions. To examine divergent validity, we correlated these dimensions by using three different instruments, which showed coherent results. DISCUSSION. The dimensions of psychosocial trauma would complement PTSD or clinical measures. Future studies should expand and broaden the study of the psychosocial consequences of collective violence together with the properties of the presented instrument.

The impact of intergroup emotions on reconciliation

In this article, the author is illustrating the importance of emotions in establishing better intergroup relations. Specifically, intergroup emotions (based on the individual?s identification with the group) have the potential to end, but also to stimulate intergroup conflict. The first part of the article is focused on theoretical foundations of intergroup emotions. In the second part of the article, specific conflict-related emotions are examined, followed by illustrations of emotional regulation models regarding facilitation of intergroup reconciliation. In the end, broader factors that influence intergroup emotions are taken into consideration, with an emphasis on consequences regarding political action.

A video intervention for every straight man: The role of preattitudes and emotions in vicarious-contact effects

Research has shown that vicarious contact can help to reduce prejudice. We tested the effect of a controlled, video-based vicarious-contact intervention on straight men’s (implicit and explicit) attitudes toward gay men. Findings of Experiment 1 ( n = 99 German participants) failed to show direct effects but were in line with the idea that negative (situation-specific) emotions mediate the intervention effect. Experiment 2 ( n = 108 U.S. participants) expanded findings: straight men with antigay preattitudes reported less negative intergroup emotions toward gay men after watching the vicarious-contact video (compared to the control condition); and less negative intergroup emotions were related to more positive attitudes toward gay men. For straight men with positive preattitudes, findings were in line with the hypothesis that positive intergroup emotions toward gay men were the relevant mediator. We discuss the moderating role of preattitudes to explain processes underlying vicarious-contact effects.

The Nature of Islamophobia: A Test of a Tripartite View in Five Countries

This article provides an examination of the structure of Islamophobia across cultures. Our novel measure—the Tripartite Islamophobia Scale (TIS)—embeds three theoretically and statistically grounded subcomponents of Islamophobia: anti-Muslim prejudice, anti-Islamic sentiment, and conspiracy beliefs. Across six samples (i.e., India, Poland, Germany, France, and the United States), preregistered analyses corroborated that these three subcomponents are statistically distinct. Measurement invariance analyses indicated full scalar invariance, suggesting that the tripartite understanding of Islamophobia is generalizable across cultural contexts. Furthermore, the subcomponents were partially dissociated in terms of the intergroup emotions they are predicted by as well as the intergroup outcomes they predict (e.g., dehumanization, ethnic persecution). For example, intergroup anger and disgust underpin Islamophobic attitudes, over and above the impact of fear. Finally, our results show that social dominance orientation (SDO) and ingroup identification moderate intergroup emotions and Islamophobia. We address both theoretical implications for the nature of Islamophobia and practical interventions to reduce it.

The nature of Islamophobia: A test of a tripartite view in five countries

This article provides an examination of the structure of Islamophobia across cultures. Our novel measure – the Tripartite Islamophobia Scale (TIS) – embeds three theoretically and statistically grounded subcomponents of Islamophobia: anti-Muslim prejudice, anti-Islamic sentiment, and conspiracy beliefs. Across six samples (i.e., India, Poland, Germany, France, and the USA), preregistered analyses corroborated that these three subcomponents are statistically distinct. Measurement invariance analyses indicated full scalar invariance, suggesting that the tripartite understanding of Islamophobia is generalizable across cultural contexts. Further, the subcomponents were partially dissociated in terms of the intergroup emotions they are predicted by as well as the intergroup outcomes they predict (e.g., dehumanization, ethnic persecution). For example, intergroup anger and disgust underpin Islamophobic attitudes, over and above the impact of fear. Finally, our results show that SDO and ingroup identification moderate intergroup emotions and Islamophobia. We address both theoretical implications for the nature of Islamophobia and practical interventions to reduce it.

Little “we’s”: How common identities improve behavior differently for ethnic majority and minority children

This field experiment tested whether inducing common inclusive representations (i.e., one group, dual identity) during contact influences intergroup relations differently for ethnic majority and minority children by changing their metaperceptions and intergroup emotions differently. White ( N = 113) and Black ( N = 111) 8- to 10-year-old children were exposed to interactive mixed-ethnicity sessions in schools emphasizing either categorization as one group (national group), dual identity (national group with ethnic subgroups), or two ethnic groups. Overall, as predicted, for White children, one-group, but not dual-identity perceptions, improved behavioral intentions by influencing metaperceptions. For Black children, dual-identity, but not one-group, perceptions improved behavioral intentions through metaperceptions. Contrary to the expected, both dual-identity and one-group perceptions were associated with White and Black children’s intergroup emotions.

The Study of Discrete Emotions in Politics

Numerous empirical works document that discrete emotions have substantive and differential effects on politically motivated processes and outcomes. Scholars have increasingly adopted a discrete-emotions approach across various political contexts. There are different theoretical paths for studying discrete emotions. Appraisal theories contend that cognition precedes emotion, where distinct cognitive appraisal tendencies elicit discrete emotional reactions associated with specific coping mechanisms. Affective Intelligence Theory, another dominant paradigm in the study of discrete emotions in politics, argues for affective primacy. Others are more concerned with the level of analysis issue than the emotion-cognition sequence. For instance, Intergroup Emotions Theory calls for differentiating between individual-level and group-based discrete emotions, asserting that the latter form is a stronger predictor of collective political actions. Scholars also need to consider which methodological strategies they should employ to deal with a range of issues that the study of discrete emotions brings about. For instance, one issue is how to effectively induce a specific emotional state such as hope without also triggering other related yet discrete emotions such as enthusiasm in an experimental setting. Beyond these theoretical and methodological choices, there are various opportunities to diversify the field of study. Above all, the field needs more cross-national replications and extensions of U.S.-based findings to help resolve the debate over the universality versus contextuality of discrete emotions. The field would also benefit from the study of a wider array of emotional states by expanding beyond its main focus on negative discrete emotions. Contemporary developments—such as the increasing use of social media by the public and political actors—further offer novel platforms for investigating the role of discrete emotions.