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Published on: September 28, 2018
Zero-Sum Thinking and the Cultural Threat of Muslim Religious Rights
Marc Helbling1, Elisabeth Ivarsflaten2, Richard Traunmüller1
1University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.
Comparative Political Studies
|August 1, 2026
Summary
Cultural threat perceptions influence opposition to immigrants. Framing Muslim cultural rights as zero-sum, rather than co-existing, significantly impacts accommodation willingness, especially for those with inclusive mindsets.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Sociology
- Immigration Studies
Background:
- Cultural threat is a key factor in anti-immigrant sentiment.
- Existing theories lack precision and face measurement challenges.
- Conceptualizing cultural threat as zero-sum offers a new perspective.
Purpose of the Study:
- To refine the concept of cultural threat.
- To investigate how framing Muslim cultural rights affects accommodation.
- To explore the role of inclusionary and exclusionary mindsets.
Main Methods:
- Two online experiments conducted in Germany.
- Random assignment to zero-sum vs. non-zero-sum conditions.
- Measurement of willingness to accommodate Muslim cultural rights.
Main Results:
- Accommodation willingness varied significantly based on the cultural threat framing.
- Respondents with inclusive mindsets were sensitive to threat framing.
- Exclusionary mindsets showed less variation in response to threat framing.
Conclusions:
- The conceptualization of cultural threat as zero-sum is crucial for understanding accommodation.
- Mindset (inclusionary vs. exclusionary) moderates responses to cultural threat.
- Distinguishing between Muslim and non-Muslim demands influences reactions.
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