The Syndrome of Group-Focused Enmity: The Interrelation of Prejudices Tested with Multiple Cross-Sectional and Panel Data

Different types of prejudice are usually treated as separate constructs. We propose that they constitute a syndrome of group-focused enmity (GFE), that is, they are related to each other and share a common core that is strongly predicted by a generalized ideology of inequality. Furthermore, GFE components are supposed to have similar predictors and outcomes. An empirical test is presented using structural equation modeling on the syndrome, its causes, consequences, and structural stability over time. The study relies on three German cross-sectional probability samples (each N= 2,700) and a related panel study (2002, 2003, and 2004). The idea of a GFE syndrome is strongly supported. Future research is discussed, as well as alternative approaches of a common prejudice factor.

[1]  Thomas F. Pettigrew,et al.  Relative deprivation and intergroup prejudice , 2008 .

[2]  T. Pettigrew,et al.  Prejudice and Group‐Related Behavior in Germany , 2008 .

[3]  M. Bäckström,et al.  Structural modeling of generalized prejudice: The role of social dominance, authoritarianism, and empathy , 2007 .

[4]  C. Bratt.  The Structure of Attitudes Toward Non-Western Immigrant Groups: Second-Order Factor Analysis of Attitudes among Norwegian Adolescents , 2005 .

[5]  N. Akrami,et al.  What matters most to prejudice: Big Five personality, Social Dominance Orientation, or Right‐Wing Authoritarianism? , 2004 .

[6]  H. Marsh,et al.  In Search of Golden Rules: Comment on Hypothesis-Testing Approaches to Setting Cutoff Values for Fit Indexes and Dangers in Overgeneralizing Hu and Bentler's (1999) Findings , 2004 .

[7]  C. Crandall,et al.  A justification-suppression model of the expression and experience of prejudice. , 2003, Psychological bulletin.

[8]  Nicolas Michinov,et al.  Does social dominance generate prejudice? Integrating individual and contextual determinants of intergroup cognitions. , 2003, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[9]  J. Schafer,et al.  Missing data: our view of the state of the art. , 2002, Psychological methods.

[10]  Gordon W. Cheung,et al.  Evaluating Goodness-of-Fit Indexes for Testing Measurement Invariance , 2002 .

[11]  R. Dick,et al.  Sozialpsychologische Analysen und Erklärungen von Fremdenfeindlichkeit in Deutschland , 2001 .

[12]  J. Jost,et al.  Group-based dominance and opposition to equality as independent predictors of self-esteem, ethnocentrism, and social policy attitudes among african americans and european americans , 2000 .

[13]  S. Gaines,et al.  Incorporating Proximal and Distal Influences on Prejudice: Testing a General Model Across Outgroups , 2000 .

[14]  John T. Jost,et al.  Attitudinal Ambivalence and the Conflict between Group and System Justification Motives in Low Status Groups , 2000 .

[15]  E. Bernard,et al.  Right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, and prejudice , 1999 .

[16]  Kristen Harrison,et al.  The Problem of “Us” Versus “Them” and AIDS Stigma , 1999 .

[17]  A. Greenwald,et al.  Measuring individual differences in implicit cognition: the implicit association test. , 1998, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[18]  F. Pratto,et al.  CONSENSUAL SOCIAL DOMINANCE ORIENTATION AND ITS CORRELATES WITHIN THE HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE OF AMERICAN SOCIETY , 1996 .

[19]  B. Six,et al.  How strong is the relationship between prejudice and discrimination? A meta-analytic answer , 1996 .

[20]  John C. Turner,et al.  Self and Collective: Cognition and Social Context , 1994 .

[21]  W. Meredith.  Measurement invariance, factor analysis and factorial invariance , 1993 .

[22]  Charles Stangor,et al.  Affective and cognitive determinants of prejudice , 1991 .

[23]  M. Hogg,et al.  Rediscovering the social group: A self-categorization theory. , 1989 .

[24]  Russell H. Weigel,et al.  Conceptions of Racial Prejudice: Symbolic Racism Reconsidered , 1985 .

[25]  M. Bierly.  Prejudice Toward Contemporary Outgroups as a Generalized Attitude , 1985 .

[26]  D. Ward.  Right-Wing Authoritarianism , 1982, American Political Science Review.

[27]  A. W. Smith.  Racial Tolerance as a Function of Group Position. , 1981 .

[28]  J. Millham,et al.  Attitudinal homophobia and support of traditional sex roles. , 1979, Journal of homosexuality.

[29]  K. G. Jöreskog,et al.  Statistical analysis of sets of congeneric tests , 1971 .

[30]  R. Butler,et al.  Age-ism: another form of bigotry. , 1969, The Gerontologist.

[31]  Norbert Elias,et al.  The established and the outsiders : a sociological enquiry into community problems , 1966 .

[32]  J Tudor-Hart,et al.  On the nature of prejudice. , 1961, The Eugenics review.

[33]  H. Blumer.  Race Prejudice as a Sense of Group Position , 1958 .

[34]  T. Adorno.  The Authoritarian Personality , 1950 .

[35]  A. Zick,et al.  Transformed Anti-Semitism – a Report on Anti-Semitism in Germany , 2005 .

[36]  B. Whitley.  Right-Wing Authoritarianism , Social Dominance Orientation , and Prejudice , 2004 .

[37]  P. Schmidt,et al.  Authoritarianism and Ethnocentrism in East and West Germany: Does the System Matter? , 2003 .

[38]  W. Heitmeyer.  Gruppenbezogene Menschenfeindlichkeit - die theoretische Konzeption und erste empirische Ergebnisse , 2002 .

[39]  J. Duckitt,et al.  A dual-process cognitive-motivational theory of ideology and prejudice , 2001 .

[40]  M. Brewer.  The Psychology of Prejudice: Ingroup Love and Outgroup Hate? , 1999 .

[41]  P. Bentler,et al.  Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis : Conventional criteria versus new alternatives , 1999 .

[42]  L. Bobo.  Prejudice as Group Position: Microfoundations of a Sociological Approach to Racism and Race Relations , 1999 .

[43]  E. Young-Bruehl.  The anatomy of prejudices , 1996 .

[44]  Thomas F. Pettigrew,et al.  Subtle and blatant prejudice in Western Europe , 1995 .

[45]  C. Crandall.  Prejudice against fat people: ideology and self-interest. , 1994, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[46]  D. Rucinski.  The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion. , 1994 .

[47]  J. Meloen.  The F Scale as a Predictor of Fascism: An Overview of 40 Years of Authoritarianism Research , 1993 .

[48]  J. Ray.  Enemies of freedom: Understanding right-wing authoritarianism , 1990 .

[49]  Daoud Kuttab.  The Problem is in Us , 1988 .

[50]  W. Runciman.  Relative Deprivation and Social Justice , 1966 .

[51]  N. Kogan,et al.  Attitudes toward old people: the development of a scale and an examination of correlates. , 1961, Journal of abnormal and social psychology.