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Acar B, Bagci SC, Verkuyten M. Toleration, discrimination, or acceptance? How majorities interpret and legitimize minority toleration depends on outgroup threat. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 63:1053-1072. [PMID: 38158873 DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The notion of tolerance is widely embraced in plural contexts, but little is known about how majority members interpret the toleration of minorities. With four studies, we investigated majority group members' interpretations of a minority toleration situation (compared to full acceptance and discrimination situations) as a function of outgroup threat. Study 1 (N = 214) showed that higher perception of threat from Syrian refugees was associated with Turkish natives' stronger likelihood of interpreting a refugee toleration situation as 'acceptance'. Studies 2 (N = 161, threatening context: Syrian refugees-Turkish natives) and 3 (N = 206, non-threatening context: homosexuals-liberal heterosexual students) demonstrated that toleration was interpreted more as a form of acceptance in a high-threat context, whereas it was perceived more like discrimination in the non-threatening context. Experimental Study 4 (N = 150, pre-registered, Muslims-Christians in the UK) indicated that increasing outgroup threat led to higher legitimization of toleration, which, in turn, related to lower support of minority rights. It is concluded that outgroup threat affects how people interpret the way in which minorities are treated, which has implications for initiatives and policies that try to stimulate tolerance towards minority groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berfin Acar
- Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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Reininger KM, Koulen H, Biel HM, Hennig T, Pietras L, Kokot MR, Löwe B, Briken P, Moritz S. A Pilot Study of Metacognitive Training in U.S. Republican Leaners: Reducing Polarization Toward LGBTIQ+ Persons. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:1609-1620. [PMID: 38647830 PMCID: PMC11106205 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-024-02856-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Negative attitudes and stigmatization toward sexual minorities is a cause of minority stress of non-heterosexual persons on an individual level and has a negative impact on democratic coexistence in postmodern, plural society on a societal level. Derived from clinical research, we developed a short metacognitive training (MCT) intended to induce doubt toward inaccurate beliefs about LGBTIQ+ persons. We expected this MCT to reduce homonegativity, threat perceptions of LGBTIQ+ persons, and to foster extended outgroup tolerance compared to an education and a no-treatment control condition. We tested this hypothesis in U.S. Republican leaners who represent a social group that is likely to hold homonegative attitudes. We randomly assigned 490 U.S. Republican leaners to an MCT condition comprising 16 questions and respective answers (n = 166) vs. an education control condition (n = 164) vs. a no-treatment control condition (n = 160). We found that Republican leaners after receiving MCT (1) had a significant reduction of homonegativity (ds ≥ 0.28), (2) significantly perceived LGBTIQ+ persons as less threatening (ds ≥ 0.30), and (3) were significantly more tolerant of various outgroups such as LGBTIQ+ persons, feminists, liberals, and climate activists (ds ≥ 0.23) relative to both control conditions. The small effects of this short intervention and the possibility of systematically applying MCT in social discourse to reduce homonegativity with its potential significance for LGBTIQ+ individuals' mental health are discussed. Furthermore, we highlight this pilot study's significance toward intervention possibilities regarding political division and polarization in postmodern, democratic societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Michael Reininger
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
- Institute of Psychotherapy, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Helena Koulen
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Psychotherapy, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hannah Marie Biel
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Psychotherapy, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Timo Hennig
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Inclusive Education, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Laura Pietras
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute for Sex Research Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Martin Rochus Kokot
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Psychotherapy, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bernd Löwe
- Department for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Psychotherapy, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Peer Briken
- Institute of Psychotherapy, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute for Sex Research Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Steffen Moritz
- Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Verkuyten M, Yogeeswaran K, Adelman L. The social psychology of intergroup tolerance and intolerance. EUROPEAN REVIEW OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/10463283.2022.2091326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maykel Verkuyten
- Ercomer, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | - Levi Adelman
- Ercomer, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Schaefer CD, Zitzmann S, Loreth L, Paffrath J, Grabow H, Loewy M, Simon B. The meaning of respect under varying context conditions. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.5964/jspp.7313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of respect figures prominently in several theories on intergroup relations. Previous studies suggested that the experience of being respected is primarily related to the feeling of being recognized as an equal, as opposed to social recognition of needs or achievements. Those studies focused, however, on either minority groups or ad hoc groups, thereby possibly giving equality recognition an advantage. This article extends previous findings by comparing societal groups situated in various contexts. We examined eight groups from four countries. We anticipated and found that the link between respect and equality recognition was stronger for groups that are in the position of minorities compared to groups associated with majorities. Owing to the moral and legal force of the norm of equality, disadvantaged minorities in particular might be able to improve their societal position by founding their claims on the equality principle. Need recognition, in contrast, was less influential for minority groups than for majority groups. While we observed these context-dependent variations, an internal meta-analysis showed that feeling recognized as an equal was, overall, the strongest indicator for feeling respected. This suggests that demands for respect could often be addressed by establishing relationships in society that are based on mutual recognition as equals, while the implications of achievement and need recognition should additionally be considered in specific contexts.
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