Do "they" threaten "us" or do "we" disrespect "them": Majority perceptions of intergroup relations and everyday contacts with immigrant minorities. (September 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Van Acker, Kaat; Phalet, Karen; Deleersnyder, Jozefien; Mesquita, Batja
• Is Part Of: Group processes and intergroup relations. Volume 17:Number 5(2014:Sep.)
• Page Start: 617
• Page End: 628
• Publication Date: 2014-09
• Subjects: anxiety -- discrimination -- intergroup contact -- intergroup threat -- perspective taking; Intergroup relations -- Periodicals; Social groups -- Periodicals; 302.305
• DOI: 10.1177/1368430214536062
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1368-4302

Abstract

The present study examined how majority perceptions of intergroup relations afford different contact experiences with immigrant minorities. Majority students attending culturally diverse high schools first completed a survey that measured the extent to which they perceived immigrant minorities as either threatening to the majority or discriminated by the majority. Two weeks later, the same majority students kept a 1-week diary of their contacts with immigrant minorities. As expected, perceived threat at premeasurement was positively associated with situated threat-related appraisals and emotions (e.g., fear) during everyday contacts with immigrant minorities 2–3 weeks later. In contrast, acknowledgment of discrimination at premeasurement was positively associated with perspective taking and enrichment-related appraisals and emotions (e.g., admiration). These findings suggest that generalized threat perceptions can become self-enforcing through repeated threatening contact experiences; but also that an alternative perception of minorities as disrespected by the majority may underlie more positive contact experiences.