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Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 33, No. 12, 1686-1699 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0146167207307485

Testing the Limits of Tolerance: How Intergroup Anxiety Amplifies Negative and Offensive Responses to Out-Group-Initiated Contact

Martijn Van Zomeren

University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands, m.van.zomeren{at}psy.vu.nl

Agneta H. Fischer

University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Russell Spears

Cardiff University, UK, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Three studies examine the amplifying effects of intergroup anxiety on individuals' negative and offensive responses to out-group-initiated contact. Because intergroup anxiety typically results in avoidance of the initiation of intergroup contact, these studies explored how intergroup anxiety affected individuals' interpretation of and responses to out-group-initiated contact. The authors hypothesized that intergroup anxiety amplifies individuals' threat appraisal of out-group-initiated contact as well as their feelings of anger and offensive action tendencies toward the out-group. Results showed consistent support for these hypotheses by demonstrating that intergroup anxiety amplified individuals' threat appraisal (Studies 2 and 3), anger (Studies 1-3), and offensive action tendencies toward the out-group (Study 2). Anger consistently predicted offensive action tendencies (Studies 2-3). Thus, intergroup anxiety decreased individuals' limits of tolerance by increasing their threat appraisal of out-group-initiated contact. The results are discussed in relation to theories of threat, emotion, and tolerance.

Key Words: intergroup anxiety • threat • anger • norm transgression • intergroup contact


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