When threat to society becomes a threat to oneself: implications for right-wing attitudes and ethnic prejudice

The relationships between threat and right-wing attitudes and ethnic prejudice were investigated in a heterogeneous sample (N = 588). Specifically, we considered the perception of economic and terroristic threats in terms of their consequences at the societal and personal level. Previous studies revealed that societal consequences of threat, rather than personal consequences, are related to right-wing attitudes (e.g. Dallago & Roccato, 2010; Feldman & Stenner, 1997; Stevens, Bishin, & Barr, 2006). However, the present results challenge these findings. More specifically, three important results emerged. First, items probing into the distinct threat levels loaded on separate dimensions for both economic and terroristic threat, validating the distinction between societal and personal threat consequences. Second, consistent with previous research, this study revealed that perceived societal consequences of threat yield strong and robust relationships with all target variables. However, personal consequences of threat were also associated with higher levels of RWA, SDO, and ethnic prejudice in particular. Third, societal and personal consequences of threat interacted in explaining the target variables. More specifically, feeling personally threatened by terrorism was only related to higher levels of RWA in the presence of low levels of threat to society, whereas experiencing personal economic threat was only related to higher levels of SDO and ethnic prejudice when high societal economic threat was experienced. In sum, although the perception of societal consequences of threat plays a prominent role in explaining right-wing attitudes and ethnic prejudice, the perception of being personally affected by threat is also associated with higher levels of RWA and SDO, and especially ethnic prejudice

Threat and right-wing attitudes: a cross-national approach

Threat relates to right-wing ideological attitudes at the individual level. The present study aims to extend this relationship to the national level. More specifically, in a sample of 91 nations, we collected country-level indicators of threat (including inflation, unemployment, gross national product, homicide rate, and life expectancy). Moreover, we analyzed data from the European and World Value Survey (total N = 134,516) to obtain aggregated country-level indicators for social-cultural and economic-hierarchical right-wing attitudes for each of these countries. In accordance with previous findings based on the individual level, a positive relationship between threat indicators and right-wing attitudes emerged. This relationship was stronger than what was usually reported at the individual level. In the discussion, we focus on the mutually reinforcing influence at the individual and national levels in terms of right-wing attitudes

The relationship between right-wing ideological attitudes and psychological well-being

The relationship between right-wing ideological attitudes and psychological well-being has been intensively studied. While some studies supported the hypothesis that right-wing attitudes are negatively related with well-being, other research yielded positive or non-significant relationships. We conducted a meta-analysis (total samples = 97, total N = 69,221) of measures of well-being, including positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, self-esteem and intrinsic goal pursuit. The obtained effect sizes were generally weak and non-significant, except for a moderate relationship between intrinsic goal pursuit and social dominance orientation. Our results thus do not support previous theories that claim that right-wing attitudes yield substantial relationships with psychological well-being

Need for closure and perceived threat as bases of right-wing authoritarianism: A longitudinal moderation approach

Epistemic motives and threat have been considered important bases of right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) for a long time. Yet, the interplay between these variables has hardly been investigated. The present study therefore examined how the interaction between dispositional need for closure (NFC) and perceived external threat, in addition to their main effects, shapes individuals’ endorsement of RWA. In a representative sample collected in the Netherlands (N = 588), the results revealed cross-sectional as well as longitudinal interaction effects. In particular, higher levels of NFC were related to higher levels of RWA when individuals perceived relatively low levels of external threat. However, when the levels of perceived threat were relatively high, NFC was not significantly related to RWA. We discuss the importance of taking into account perceived contextual factors in theorizing on the motivated social cognitive basis of authoritarian ideology

The Association of Cognitive Ability with Right-wing Ideological Attitudes and Prejudice: A Meta-analytic Review

The cognitive functioning of individuals with stronger endorsement of right-wing and prejudiced attitudes has elicited much scholarly interest. Whereas many studies investigated cognitive styles, less attention has been directed towards cognitive ability. Studies investigating the latter topic generally reveal lower cognitive ability to be associated with stronger endorsement of right-wing ideological attitudes and greater prejudice. However, this relationship has remained widely unrecognized in literature. The present meta-analyses revealed an average effect size of r =-.20 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) [-0.23, -0.17]; based on 67 studies, N=84 017] for the relationship between cognitive ability and right-wing ideological attitudes and an average effect size of r=-.19 (95% CI [-0.23, -0.16]; based on 23 studies, N=27 011) for the relationship between cognitive ability and prejudice. Effect sizes did not vary significantly across different cognitive abilities and sample characteristics. The effect strongly depended on the measure used for ideological attitudes and prejudice, with the strongest effect sizes for authoritarianism and ethnocentrism. We conclude that cognitive ability is an important factor in the genesis of ideological attitudes and prejudice and thus should become more central in theorizing and model building

Are right-wing adherents mentally troubled? Recent insights on the relationship of right-wing attitudes with threat and psychological Ill-being

Classic views on right-wing attitudes suggest that right-wing adherents are characterized by psychological problems, such as deeply rooted anxieties and fundamental unhappiness. This perspective has gained much attention and has influenced the way researchers and even laypeople think about right-wing individuals. We reviewed recent accumulated evidence that suggests that right-wing attitudes are not bad for the self and that right-wing adherents have relatively normal mental lives. Specifically, we found that although right-wing adherents feel threatened by societal problems (external threat), they do not experience strong personal anxieties (internal threat). Moreover, our evidence showed that right-wing attitudes are weakly related to psychological ill-being. These findings are discussed in terms of the self-defensive function of right-wing attitudes, and a novel perspective that distinguishes between different levels of the self is proposed