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Illegitimacy and identity threat in (inter)action: Predicting intergroup orientations among minority group members
Author(s) -
Livingstone Andrew G.,
Spears Russell,
Manstead Antony S. R.,
Bruder Martin
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
british journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 2044-8309
pISSN - 0144-6665
DOI - 10.1348/014466608x398591
Subject(s) - welsh , psychology , social psychology , identity (music) , social identity theory , collective identity , anger , group conflict , action (physics) , developmental psychology , social group , political science , politics , geography , physics , quantum mechanics , acoustics , law , archaeology
We test the hypothesis that intergroup orientations among minority group members are shaped by the interaction between the perceived illegitimacy of intergroup relations and identity threat appraisals, as well as their main effects. This is because together they serve to focus emotion‐mediated reactions on the out‐group's role in threatening in‐group identity. In a large‐scale field study ( N =646), conducted among the Welsh minority in the UK, we quasi‐manipulated the extent to which Welsh identity was dependent on the ‘threatened’ Welsh language. Results supported our hypothesis that the illegitimacy × identity threat interaction would be strongest where Welsh identity was most dependent upon the Welsh language, and through intergroup anger would predict support for more radical, unconstitutional forms of action.