Integration of Perceived Threat, Media Influence, and Intergroup Anxiety

A growing body of research has investigated the stigma surrounding immigration, the impact it has on individual and group level attitudes, interactions, and well-being, as well the role of individual factors and media influences. The current study aimed to build on this research by exploring the impact of perceived threat on U.S. native-born college students’ endorsed levels of intergroup anxiety and attitudes towards Mexican immigrants specifically. Additionally, the potential moderating roles of media influence, educational level, and personal connection were explored. The design of this study was informed by a combined theoretical framework of Intergroup Threat Theory’s (ITT; Stephan & Stephan, 2000) three dimensions of perceived threat- economic, symbolic, and physical- and cultivation theory (Morgan, Shananhan, & Signorielli, 2009). Consistent with past research, this study focused on the experiences of native-born U.S. college students (n = 393) who were of voting age (18+). The participants were presented with vignettes to prime one of the perceived threat dimensions or the control no threat condition. A modified version of the Attitude Towards Immigrants Scale (ATI; Bae, 2016) was used to measure attitudes towards Mexican immigrants, while the Self Other Intergroup Anxiety Scale (SOIAS; Greenland, Xenias, & Maio, 2012) was used to measure intergroup anxiety. A researcher-designed measure of media exposure and the Bias Toward Immigrants Measure (Beyer & Matthes, 2015) were used to measure media influence as a proximal moderating factor. Correlational analyses indicated a significant relationship between attitudes towards Mexican immigrants and endorsed levels of intergroup anxiety (r = -.21 at p <.01). Regression analyses found no evidence of a significant difference among the dimensions of perceived threat, however, the data supported media influence and personal connection as significant predictors of the outcome variables. The current study suggests that negative attitudes towards Mexican immigrants can lead to negative intergroup anxiety for native-born U.S. college students.