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Published on: September 28, 2018
Why does ingroup essentialism increase prejudice against minority members?
Hanna Zagefka1, Dennis Nigbur, Roberto Gonzalez
1Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK. hanna.zagefka@rhul.ac.uk
Summary
Essentialist beliefs about national identity increase prejudice against immigrants by creating unrealistic expectations for cultural assimilation. This gap between perceived feasibility and demand for cultural adoption fuels negative attitudes toward immigrant groups.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Cultural Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Essentialist beliefs, defined as the idea that group membership is biologically determined, are linked to prejudice.
- Previous research indicates a correlation between essentialism and prejudice against outgroups, but the underlying mechanisms require further exploration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mediating role of perceived cultural assimilation feasibility in the relationship between essentialist beliefs about the national ingroup and prejudice toward immigrants.
- To examine how essentialism influences perceptions of intergroup threat and the demand for immigrants to adopt mainstream culture.
Main Methods:
- The study involved 90 British participants.
- Structural equation modeling and mediation analysis were employed to test the proposed theoretical model.
Main Results:
- Essentialist beliefs were associated with a reduced perception of immigrants' ability to adopt the mainstream culture.
- Essentialism positively correlated with perceived intergroup threat, which in turn increased the demand for cultural assimilation.
- A significant mediation effect was found: essentialism led to unrealistic demands for cultural adoption, which then predicted prejudice against immigrants.
Conclusions:
- Essentialist beliefs about the national ingroup contribute to prejudice against immigrants by fostering unattainable expectations for cultural assimilation.
- The findings provide an explanatory mechanism for the link between essentialism and prejudice, highlighting the role of perceived cultural adaptability.
- The study underscores the connection between ingroup perceptions and outgroup attitudes, with implications for understanding and mitigating intergroup hostility.
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