This Article Full Text (PDF) Free References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Blair, I. V. Articles by Bachelor, J. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Understanding Intergroup Anxiety: Are Some People More Anxious than Others?

University of Colorado at Boulder

Bernadette Park

University of Colorado at Boulder

Jonathan Bachelor

University of Colorado at Boulder

Theory suggests that individuals who are more prejudiced or who have had less intergroup contact are more likely to experience intergroup anxiety. Although prior research has supported those proposals, it is weakened by the use of abstract (and therefore often ambiguous) intergroup encounters. The present research provided better evidence by measuring participants' anxiety in well-specified situations. This research also extended past work by studying intergroup anxiety in the context of groups defined by sexual orientation. Study 1 participants reported greater anxiety in imagined interactions with a gay than a heterosexual person, but only if the person was of the same gender. This anxiety was especially strong for participants who were high in prejudice, had less prior contact with gays, or were high in Right-Wing Authoritarianism. Study 2 provided a partial replication of these results when participants were anticipating a real interaction.

Key Words: intergroup anxiety • intergroup contact • prejudice

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. D. Galinsky, G. Ku, and C. S. Wang Perspective-Taking and Self-Other Overlap: Fostering Social Bonds and Facilitating Social Coordination Group Processes Intergroup Relations, April 1, 2005; 8(2): 109 - 124. [Abstract] [PDF]