Superficial Contact, Predispositions, and Refugee Prejudice

• In Event: Exploring Prejudice and Ideology in Refugee Policy

Abstract

Studies show that local exposure to a large number of refugees increases threat perception and thus hardens public antipathy toward them. We focus on individual level exposure to a number of refugees. Allport (1954) argues that frequent contact with outgroup members without communication, or superficial contact strengthens prior prejudice. Allport’s argument connects with the recent argument that situational triggers galvanize or mobilize predispositions to prejudice. We assume that situational triggers affect socioeconomic concerns and personality differently because of contextual and ceiling effects. We test the hypothesis that superficial contact increases prejudice by affecting individuals with strong socioeconomic concerns and those with weak social identities. Using our survey dataset (N = 3000) for 2022, we conducted a cross-sectional regression analysis. The results show that frequent superficial contact increases the prejudice of those with strong socioeconomic concerns as well as those with weak social identity. Superficial contact thus appears to galvanize socioeconomic concerns but mobilize low-prejudice personalities.

Author

• Yasushi Hazama, Institute of Developing Economies