Which immigrant acculturation strategies are perceived as (im)moral? Consequences on the emotions and behavioral intentions expressed by host populations

Introduction

North Africans immigrants in France are devalued and discriminated. Research suggests that the acculturation strategy they adopt impacts the way they are perceived on the stereotype content model's warmth and competence dimensions and the emotions and behavioral intentions they elicit (BIAS map model).

Objective

Considering that the warmth dimension consists of two sub-dimensions — sociability and morality — the present study explores how perceived morality influences the BIAS map's predictions as a function of perceptions of acculturation.

Method

We randomly assigned 343 participants to one of four groups. Participants in each group read extracts from an interview with a male North African immigrant who expressed one of four acculturation strategies (integrationist, assimilationist, separationist, marginalist). They then expressed their perceptions of the immigrant (stereotypes) and the emotions and behavioral intentions he inspired.

Results

As hypothesized, the assimilationist target was attributed more sociability than the separationist and marginalist targets and less morality than the integrationist and separationist targets. Unexpectedly, participants expressed strong active facilitating behavioral intentions (help and protect) both toward the least moral target (assimilationist) and toward the most moral targets (integrationist and separationist).

Conclusion

First, considering morality in addition to sociability and competence can enrich the BIAS map model's predictive capability. Second, although host populations may perceive assimilationist and separationist acculturation strategies as differing in terms of morality, these different perceptions may lead to similar helping and protection behavioral intentions. Some explanations are suggested.