Impact of national pandemic lockdowns on perceived threat of immigrants: a natural quasi-experiment across 23 countries

Han, Qing and Zheng, Bang and Leander, N Pontus and Agostini, Maximilian and Gutzkow, Ben and Kreienkamp, Jannis and Kutlaca, Maja and Lemay Jr., Edward P and Stroebe, Wolfgang and vanDellen, Michelle R and Collaboration, PsyCorona and Abdul Khaiyom, Jamilah Hanum and Belanger, Jocelyn J (2022) Impact of national pandemic lockdowns on perceived threat of immigrants: a natural quasi-experiment across 23 countries. Social Psychological and Personality Science. pp. 1-12. ISSN 1948-5506 E-ISSN 1948-5514

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Abstract

Xenophobia and anti-immigrant attacks rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet this may not be solely due to the disease threat. According to theories of frustration and scapegoating, situational obstructions and deprivation can motivate prejudice against outgroups. Using a global natural quasi-experimental design, this study tests whether the restrictiveness of national lock-downs can explain higher individual-level perceptions of immigrant threat. Data of 45,894 participants from 23 countries were analyzed. Both lockdown duration and lockdown severity were positively associated with individuals’ perceived threat of immi-grants. The lockdown effects were independent of objective and subjective measures of disease threat, and there was no evi-dence that disease threat drives people’s prejudice toward immigrants. Subgroup analysis suggested the lockdown effects were reliable in Europe and the Americas, but not in Asia. These findings suggest a need to mitigate frustration and scapegoating when implementing lockdowns, and to distinguish the influence of societal restrictions from disease threat.

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	COVID-19, perceived threat of immigrants, lockdown, natural experiment
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology > BF180 Experimental psychology H Social Sciences > HM Sociology H Social Sciences > HM Sociology > HM1001 Social psychology H Social Sciences > HM Sociology > HM1106 Interpersonal relations. Social behavior H Social Sciences > HM Sociology > HM1176 Social influence. Social pressure R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA643 Communicable Diseases and Public Health R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA644.C67 Coronavirus infections. COVID-19 (Disease). COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of Psychology
Depositing User:	Dr Jamilah Hanum Abdul Khaiyom
Date Deposited:	31 Jan 2023 16:26
Last Modified:	31 Jan 2023 16:30
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/103511

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