Symbolic threat outperformed realistic threat in predicting mayoral vote choice

Evidence

Kinder and Sears (1981) compared the competing theories of RGCT and symbolic racism in a study of voting patterns in a mayoral race in which one candidate was Black and the other was White. The likelihood of an individual voting for the Black candidate was compared with reported levels of realistic and symbolic threat. Realistic threat was measured by assessing how much individuals felt they would be personally affected by such issues as busing and desegregation; the symbolic threat measure focused on general perceptions of value violations by Blacks (e.g., pushing too hard; have gotten more than they deserve). Consistent with the symbolic racism perspective, symbolic racism was a stronger predictor of candidate preference than was realistic threat. — Blake M. Riek, Eric W. Mania, and Samuel L. Gaertner, Intergroup Threat and Outgroup Attitudes, 34

Categorization

• XREF: Direct empirical anchor for the MOC threat-perception argument distinguishing resource competition from value threat. — connects to: Perceived value differences trigger symbolic threats but not realistic threats — Walter G. Stephan, Oscar Ybarra, Kimberly Rios Morrison, Intergroup Threat Theory, 9; Symbolic threat targets ingroup values while realistic threat targets power and wellbeing — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty Years…, 1832; Realistic and symbolic threats reliably predict prejudice across studies — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 1046 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Realistic and symbolic threats reliably predict prejudice across studies #corroborates (0.85) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 1046
• Symbolic threat targets ingroup values while realistic threat targets power and wellbeing #expands (0.80) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1832
• Symbolic threats can translate into material competition over political resources #expands (0.80) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1515
• Perceived value differences trigger symbolic threats but not realistic threats #qualifies (0.78) — Walter G. Stephan, Oscar Ybarra, Kimberly Rios Morrison, Intergroup Threat Theory, 9
• Experimentally manipulated realistic threat shows far weaker attitude effects than measured threat #complicates (0.75) — Blake M. Riek, Eric W. Mania, and Samuel L. Gaertner, Intergroup Threat and Outgroup Attitudes, 119
• Symbolic threats favor assimilation while realistic threats favor separatism #complicates (0.74) — Walter G. Stephan, Oscar Ybarra, Kimberly Rios Morrison, Intergroup Threat Theory, 22
• Researchers measured conventionalism via matched incumbent House election margins across threat levels #exemplifies (0.73) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 808
• Symbolic racism scales conflate real political threat with prejudice #complicates (0.72)