Fear of Muslims splits into a cognitive threat-appraisal factor and a separate affective factor

Evidence

The IS is composed of two factors that correspond to distinct components of the fear system, as suggested by Öhman and Wiens (2004). The fear system is a representation of different domains of fear that are designed to motivate escape and avoidance of threats to one’s physical and/or psychological integrity (Öhman & Wiens, 2004). One factor, named Cognitive Islamophobia (I-C), represents the cognitive appraisal domain of the fear system, which is associated with the identification and information processing of potential dangers. — Sherman A. Lee, Chelsea A. Reid, Stephen D. Short, Jeffrey A. Gibbons, Ruth Yeh, and Matthew L. Campbell, Fear of Muslims, 19

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the IS’s two-factor structure and Cognitive Islamophobia (I-C) as the appraisal component of the fear system.