Distrust of atheists depends on perceiving them as rare, not merely immoral.
Evidence
Although outgroup size elevates prejudice characterized by fear, it may have the opposite effect for prejudice characterized by distrust. To appreciate why this might be, note that there is some inherent tension between distrust of atheists and the latter’s collective inconspicuousness. One would expect that such an untrustworthy group would be readily apparent, as their widespread immorality would leave obvious effects. These two facts could be reconciled if atheists were rare: even an untrustworthy group can escape notice if it is small enough. But atheist distrust may be undermined if atheists are both inconspicuous and believed to be numerous. — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 311
Although outgroup size elevates prejudice characterized by fear, it may have the opposite effect for prejudice characterized by distrust. To appreciate why this might be, note that there is some inherent tension between distrust of atheists and the latter’s collective inconspicuousness. One would expect that such an untrustworthy group would be readily apparent, as their widespread immorality would leave obvious effects. These two facts could be reconciled if atheists were rare: even an untrustworthy group can escape notice if it is small enough. But atheist distrust may be undermined if atheists are both inconspicuous and believed to be numerous. — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 311
Categorization
- XREF: Echoes the reader’s own analytical frame: perceived prevalence and partner choice determine outgroup trust — connects directly to Baumard’s partner-choice mechanism where observable signals (here rarity/inconspicuousness) drive trust judgments.
- DEFINE: Draws a crisp conceptual contrast between two distinct prejudice types (fear vs distrust) and their divergent sensitivity to outgroup size.
- corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 311