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Antiegalitarians for affirmative action? When social dominance orientation is positively related to support for egalitarian social policies
Author(s) -
Ho Geoffrey C.,
Unzueta Miguel M.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/jasp.12311
Subject(s) - affirmative action , opposition (politics) , social dominance orientation , dominance (genetics) , social psychology , politics , biology and political orientation , political science , psychology , law , biochemistry , chemistry , authoritarianism , democracy , gene
Abstract Previous research has found that people high in social dominance orientation (i.e., antiegalitarians) generally oppose affirmative action policies. We propose that antiegalitarians may be less opposed to strong affirmative action policies because such policies may be perceived to ultimately strengthen racial hierarchies. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that antiegalitarian individuals are less opposed to affirmative action policies, as compared to egalitarian individuals, when such policies strongly weigh minority status in selection decisions. Study 3 provides evidence that antiegalitarians lessen their opposition to strong policies only when such policies are believed to enhance racial hierarchies through the recruitment of minorities that remain at the bottom of organizational hierarchies. Theoretical, political, and organizational implications are discussed.