Threats to resources and cultural values: Functional pathways to positive and negative intergroup emotions

Abstract

We explore how certain intergroup emotions stem from aspects of intercultural relationships and how the emotions motivate actions to change the intercultural relationship. Consistent with threat-based approaches to prejudice, we propose that these emotions are adaptive responses to two structural dimensions of intergroup relations, resource competition and value threat, and influence what intergroup actions people want to take. Furthermore, our framework considers the pivotal role of group power. Using a stratified random sample of 189 Lebanese Arabs in structured interviews about attitudes toward Americans, we found that positive and negative emotions along the value dimension (respect and disgust/contempt toward Americans) related especially strongly to factors that sensitize and protect the group against threats to values: right-wing authoritarianism, perceived cultural inferiority, and value threat. In parallel, the positive and negative emotions along the resource dimension (sympathy and anger toward Americans) related especially strongly to factors that sensitize and protect the group against threats to material resources and position in the social hierarchy: counter-dominance orientation, goal incompatibility, and economic threat. Disgust/contempt was the strongest predictor of opposition to nonviolent and support for violent actions against Americans. Other intergroup emotions (fear and envy) outside the two-dimensional model were also explored. We propose an integrative framework of functional pathways to positive and negative intergroup emotions based on the dual process model, and moderation of the function of the resource pathway by group power.