Prejudice against Muslims: Anxiety as a mediator between intergroup contact and attitudes, perceived group variability and behavioural intentions

Hutchison, P.; Rosenthal, H.E.S.

Abstract

Numerous studies have reported an increase in prejudice against Muslims in recent years. Less research has investigated how this increase might be stemmed and relations between non-Muslims and Muslims improved. In this article, we address prejudice against Muslims from the perspective of intergroup contact theory. We conducted two cross-sectional studies to examine the relationship between non-Muslim students' experiences of contact with Muslims and their intergroup anxiety, outgroup attitudes, perceptions of outgroup variability and intergroup behavioural intentions. Study 1 (N=58) showed that frequent high-quality contact with Muslims predicted more positive outgroup attitudes, more perceived outgroup variability and more positive behavioural intentions. These associations were mediated by intergroup anxiety. Study 2 (N=60) replicated these effects and additionally showed that anxiety mediates the influence of extended contact on the same outcome measures. Discussion focuses on the implications of the results for strategies aimed at improving relations between non-Muslims and Muslims.

Citation

Hutchison, P., & Rosenthal, H. (2011). Prejudice against Muslims: Anxiety as a mediator between intergroup contact and attitudes, perceived group variability and behavioural intentions. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 34(1), 40-61. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419871003763312

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2011
• Deposit Date: May 23, 2012
• Journal: Ethnic and Racial Studies
• Print ISSN: 0141-9870
• Electronic ISSN: 1466-4356
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 34
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 40-61
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01419871003763312
• Keywords: Prejudice, Islam, Contact, Anxiety, Discrimination, Muslim.
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1522513