The pathogen paradox: Evidence that perceived COVID-19 threat is associated with both pro- and anti-immigrant attitudes. Issue 1 (11th June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Adam-Troian, Jais; Bagci, Sabahat Cigdem
• Is Part Of: International review of social psychology. Volume 34:Issue 1(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-06-11
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- threat -- attitudes -- pandemic -- common ingroup -- refugees; Social psychology -- Periodicals; 302.05
• DOI: 10.5334/irsp.469
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2397-8570

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, as a global threat to humanity, is likely to instigate a variety of collective responses in the society. We examined, for the first time, whether the COVID-19 threat perception is related to attitudes towards Syrian refugees in Turkey, theorizing a dual pathway whereby pandemic-induced threat would relate to both pro- and anti-immigrant feelings. Drawing upon integrated threat theory and models of collective-threat regulation, we expected that pandemic threat would lead to more exclusionary outgroup attitudes through increased immigrant threat, whereas we argued that perceived COVID-19 threat would promote inclusionary attitudes through creating a common ingroup in the face of a global threat. Using online search volume data at the province level (Study 1, N = 81) and self-reporting measures at the individual level (Study 2, N = 294), we found that the COVID-19 threat was directly associated with more positive attitudes towards refugees (Study 1 and 2). Study 2 further revealed indirect positive (through a sense of common identity) and negative (through perceptions of immigrant threat) links between COVID-19 threat perception and outgroup attitudes. These results highlight the importance of integrating threat regulation and social identity perspectives when assessing the implications of pathogen-related threats.