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Prejudice and Group‐Related Behavior in Germany
Author(s) -
Wagner Ulrich,
Christ Oliver,
Pettigrew Thomas F.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.618
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1540-4560
pISSN - 0022-4537
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-4560.2008.00568.x
Subject(s) - prejudice (legal term) , social psychology , psychology , ethnic group , contact hypothesis , longitudinal study , political science , statistics , mathematics , law
This article analyses the relationship of ethnic prejudice and discriminatory behavioral intentions in Germany. We utilize two representative surveys conducted in 2002 and 2004 (N= 2,722 and 1,383, respectively) as well as a longitudinal study with three annual measurement points (2002–2004; N= 825). Results show that prejudice is substantially correlated with the respondents' reports of their own discriminatory intentions (R= .33 to .49). Controlling for additional psychological variables, the cross‐lagged, longitudinal analyses support the causal hypothesis that prejudice leads to discriminatory intentions. Additional influences on discriminatory intentions—intergroup threat and intergroup contact—are substantially mediated by ethnic prejudice. Thus, a practical implication of these results is that the reduction of intergroup threat and increment of intergroup contact may well lead to both reduced intergroup prejudice and to less discriminatory behavior .