Tolerating the Intolerant: Does Realistic Threat Lead to Increased Tolerance of Right-Wing Extremists?
Previous research suggests that threat can bolster anti-immigration attitudes, but less is known about the effects of threat on ideological tolerance. We tested the hypothesis that realistic threats — tangible threats to e.g., the safety or financial well-being of one’s group — bolster support for r...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology
2022-03-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Social and Political Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://jspp.psychopen.eu/index.php/jspp/article/view/8017 |
| _version_ | 1797964354784591872 |
|---|---|
| author | Samantha Sinclair Artur Nilsson Jens Agerström |
| author_facet | Samantha Sinclair Artur Nilsson Jens Agerström |
| author_sort | Samantha Sinclair |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Previous research suggests that threat can bolster anti-immigration attitudes, but less is known about the effects of threat on ideological tolerance. We tested the hypothesis that realistic threats — tangible threats to e.g., the safety or financial well-being of one’s group — bolster support for right-wing extremists. In Experiment 1, participants (N = 200) learned that crime and unemployment rates were either increasing (high threat condition) or remaining the same (low threat condition). Consistent with our hypothesis, higher threat lead to a significant increase in tolerance for right-wing, but not left-wing, extremists. In a second, pre-registered extended replication experiment (N = 385), we added a baseline (no threat) condition. Additionally, attitudes to immigrants were examined as a mediator. This experiment produced non-significant threat effects on tolerance of right-wing extremists. Overall, the current research provides weak support for the hypothesis that realistic threats have asymmetric effects on tolerance of political extremists. However, consistent with previous research, people were more tolerant of extremists within their own ideological camp. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:42:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e0f00f1fbbb245a887fd1b00576c40b7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2195-3325 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T01:42:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Social and Political Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-e0f00f1fbbb245a887fd1b00576c40b72023-01-03T08:14:09ZengPsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for PsychologyJournal of Social and Political Psychology2195-33252022-03-01101354710.5964/jspp.8017jspp.8017Tolerating the Intolerant: Does Realistic Threat Lead to Increased Tolerance of Right-Wing Extremists?Samantha Sinclair0Artur Nilsson1Jens Agerström2Department of Psychology, Linnæus University, Växjö, SwedenDepartment of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, SwedenDepartment of Psychology, Linnæus University, Växjö, SwedenPrevious research suggests that threat can bolster anti-immigration attitudes, but less is known about the effects of threat on ideological tolerance. We tested the hypothesis that realistic threats — tangible threats to e.g., the safety or financial well-being of one’s group — bolster support for right-wing extremists. In Experiment 1, participants (N = 200) learned that crime and unemployment rates were either increasing (high threat condition) or remaining the same (low threat condition). Consistent with our hypothesis, higher threat lead to a significant increase in tolerance for right-wing, but not left-wing, extremists. In a second, pre-registered extended replication experiment (N = 385), we added a baseline (no threat) condition. Additionally, attitudes to immigrants were examined as a mediator. This experiment produced non-significant threat effects on tolerance of right-wing extremists. Overall, the current research provides weak support for the hypothesis that realistic threats have asymmetric effects on tolerance of political extremists. However, consistent with previous research, people were more tolerant of extremists within their own ideological camp.https://jspp.psychopen.eu/index.php/jspp/article/view/8017social threatrealistic threattolerancepolitical ideologyideological asymmetry |
| spellingShingle | Samantha Sinclair Artur Nilsson Jens Agerström Tolerating the Intolerant: Does Realistic Threat Lead to Increased Tolerance of Right-Wing Extremists? Journal of Social and Political Psychology social threat realistic threat tolerance political ideology ideological asymmetry |
| title | Tolerating the Intolerant: Does Realistic Threat Lead to Increased Tolerance of Right-Wing Extremists? |
| title_full | Tolerating the Intolerant: Does Realistic Threat Lead to Increased Tolerance of Right-Wing Extremists? |
| title_fullStr | Tolerating the Intolerant: Does Realistic Threat Lead to Increased Tolerance of Right-Wing Extremists? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tolerating the Intolerant: Does Realistic Threat Lead to Increased Tolerance of Right-Wing Extremists? |
| title_short | Tolerating the Intolerant: Does Realistic Threat Lead to Increased Tolerance of Right-Wing Extremists? |
| title_sort | tolerating the intolerant does realistic threat lead to increased tolerance of right wing extremists |
| topic | social threat realistic threat tolerance political ideology ideological asymmetry |
| url | https://jspp.psychopen.eu/index.php/jspp/article/view/8017 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT samanthasinclair toleratingtheintolerantdoesrealisticthreatleadtoincreasedtoleranceofrightwingextremists AT arturnilsson toleratingtheintolerantdoesrealisticthreatleadtoincreasedtoleranceofrightwingextremists AT jensagerstrom toleratingtheintolerantdoesrealisticthreatleadtoincreasedtoleranceofrightwingextremists |