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In this article, I argue that the psychological basis of many of the problems associated with immigration can be traced to tangible threats, cultural threats, fears of change, and the negative attitudes and misperceptions that flow from these threats and fears. Concrete suggestions are made for policies at the societal and individual levels that can counteract these problems. In addition, specific programs are suggested to improve relations between residents and immigrants. The article ends with a discussion of some of the psychological processes that underlie improvements in intergroup relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This set of two studies employed the integrated threat theory to examine attitudes toward affirmative action (AA). The first study found that opposition to the policy of AA was predicted by realistic threats, symbolic threats, and personal relevance; while attitudes toward the beneficiaries of AA were predicted by three of the four threat variables (symbolic threats, intergroup anxiety, and negative stereotypes), and in-group identity. The second study replicated and expanded on the first study and found that the effects of several individual-difference variables (racism, anti-Black affect, and political conservatism) on opposition to AA were mediated by three of the threats in the integrated threat theory (realistic threats, symbolic threats, and negative stereotypes). The implications of the results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two studies examined people's beliefs about the relative disconfirmability of out-group and in-group stereotypes. In Study 1 (n = 56), Hispanics and White non-Hispanics judged the in-group and out-group stereotypes in terms of the ease with which they could be disconfirmed. The results indicated that strongly, ethnically identified participants believed the out-group stereotype to be more difficult to disconfirm than the in-group stereotype. The second study with 73 White participants examined their beliefs about the disconfirmability of the White and African American stereotypes. The results indicated that participants higher in prejudice believed the African American stereotype is more difficult to disconfirm than the White stereotype to a greater degree than participants lower in prejudice. The results suggest that disconfirmability beliefs comprise a distinct construct that may contribute to the difficulty of changing out-group stereotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, 4 variables (realistic threats, symbolic threats, intergroup anxiety, and negative stereotypes) were used to predict prejudice toward immigrants from Cuba, Mexico, and Asia in samples of students from states in the United States that are affected by immigration from these areas (Florida, New Mexico, and Hawaii, respectively). All 4 variables were significant (or marginally significant) predictors of attitudes toward these immigrant groups. Evidence is presented that the predictor variables are conceptually and empirically distinct. However, these variables do appear to be tied together by an underlying theme: They all concern threats to the in-group or its members. Some of the implications of the results for intergroup relations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was designed to test the idea that ingroup-outgroup differences in attributional processes play an important part in the origin of stereotypes. Specifically, it was hypothesized that ingroup members would make more dispositional attributions to positive behaviors and fewer dispositional attributions to negative behaviors than outgroup members would. A questionnaire including items on attributions to positive and negative behavior and interethnic attitudes was given to a triethnic sample of 750 fifth and sixth grade students. The hypothesis was well supported for the evaluation of the Chicanos' behavior, partially supported for the evaluation of Anglos' behavior, and unsupported for the evaluation of Blacks' behavior. Other results indicating that all three groups attribute positive behavior to the actor and negative behavior to the situation and that Anglos make more dispositional attributions than the other groups were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]