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Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, Vol. 6, No. 2, 151-169 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/1368430203006002002
© 2003 SAGE Publications

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

Irene V. Blair

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

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