Perceived outgroup threats damage intergroup relations even without hostility

Evidence

The primary reason intergroup threats are important is because their effects on intergroup relations are largely destructive. Even when a threat from an outgroup leads to non-hostile behavioral responses (e.g., negotiation, compromise, deterrence), the cognitive and affective responses to threat are likely to — Walter G. Stephan, Oscar Ybarra, Kimberly Rios Morrison, Intergroup Threat Theory, 38

Overall, the four threat types accounted for 36% of the variance in outgroup attitudes (R2 = .36). Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the various types of intergroup threats have a significant and unique impact on outgroup attitudes. The fact that the threat types included in the ITT account for a substantial portion of the variance in attitudes also suggests that ITT provides a reasonable and useful, though perhaps incomplete, framework for conceptualizing the relationship between intergroup threat and attitudes across the available literature. — Blake M. Riek, Eric W. Mania, and Samuel L. Gaertner, Intergroup Threat and Outgroup Attitudes, 105

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Walter G. Stephan, Oscar Ybarra, Kimberly Rios Morrison, Intergroup Threat Theory, 38; Blake M. Riek, Eric W. Mania, and Samuel L. Gaertner, Intergroup Threat and Outgroup…, 105
• XREF: connects to: Intergroup contact most strongly and reliably predicts willingness to mix with the outgroup — Miles Hewstone and Ed Cairns and Alberto Voci and Juergen Hamberger and Ulrike Niens, Intergroup Contact, Forgiveness, and…, 43; Different threat types trigger distinct emotions that shape reactions — Blake M. Riek, Eric W. Mania, and Samuel L. Gaertner, Intergroup Threat and Outgroup…, 66; Threat effects on attitudes are stronger for low-status than high-status outgroups — Blake M. Riek, Eric W. Mania, and Samuel L. Gaertner, Intergroup Threat and Outgroup…, 129 (+14 more)

Broader Connections

• Perceived threat, not just difference, drives stigma toward varied outgroups #corroborates (0.88) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 337
• Perceived threat amplifies both in-group favoritism and out-group hostility #corroborates (0.85) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 1103
• Threat can redirect hostility toward unrelated weaker outgroups #corroborates (0.82) — Walter G. Stephan, Oscar Ybarra, Kimberly Rios Morrison, Intergroup Threat Theory, 20
• Negative stereotypes both accompany intergroup threats and independently predict outgroup attitudes #expands (0.80) — Blake M. Riek, Eric W. Mania, and Samuel L. Gaertner, Intergroup Threat and Outgroup Attitudes, 127
• Perceived rather than actual conflict drives intergroup prejudice #corroborates (0.80) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 3317
• Common external threats can reduce prejudice among ordinary outgroups #qualifies (0.78) — Walter G. Stephan, Oscar Ybarra, Kimberly Rios Morrison, Intergroup Threat Theory, 24
• Intergroup anxiety arises from anticipated negative consequences and perceived threats #expands (0.75) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1832
• Threatened groups deny outgroups distinctively human emotions #expands (0.72) — Walter G. Stephan, Oscar Ybarra, Kimberly Rios Morrison, Intergroup Threat Theory, 422