Concern with COVID-19 pandemic threat and attitudes towards immigrants: The mediating effect of the desire for tightness

Silvana Mula; Daniela Di Santo; Elena Resta; Farin Bakhtiari; Conrad Baldner; Erica Molinario; Antonio Pierro; Michele J. Gelfand; Emmy Denison; Maximilian Agostini; Jocelyn J. Bélanger; Ben Gützkow; Jannis Kreienkamp; Georgios Abakoumkin; Jamilah Hanum Abdul Khaiyom; Vjollca Ahmedi; Handan Akkas; Carlos A. Almenara; Mohsin Atta; Sabahat Cigdem Bagci; Sima Basel; Edona Berisha Kida; Allan B.i. Bernardo; Nicholas R. Buttrick; Phatthanakit Chobthamkit; Hoon-seok Choi; Mioara Cristea; Sára Csaba; Kaja Damnjanovic; Ivan Danyliuk; Arobindu Dash; Karen M. Douglas; Violeta Enea; Daiane Gracieli Faller; Gavan J. Fitzsimons; Alexandra Gheorghiu; Ángel Gómez; Ali Hamaidia; Qing Han; Mai Helmy; Joevarian Hudiyana; Bertus F. Jeronimus; Ding-yu Jiang; Veljko Jovanović; Željka Kamenov; Anna Kende; Shian-ling Keng; Tra Thi Thanh Kieu; Yasin Koc; Kamila Kovyazina; Inna Kozytska; Joshua Krause; Arie W. Kruglanski; Anton Kurapov; Maja Kutlaca; Nóra Anna Lantos; Edward P. Lemay; Cokorda Bagus Jaya Lesmana; Winnifred R. Louis; Adrian Lueders; Najma Iqbal Malik; Anton Martinez; Kira O. Mccabe; Jasmina Mehulić; Mirra Noor Milla; Idris Mohammed; Manuel Moyano; Hayat Muhammad; Hamdi Muluk; Solomiia Myroniuk; Reza Najafi; Claudia F. Nisa; Boglárka Nyúl; Paul A. O'keefe; Jose Javier Olivas Osuna; Evgeny N. Osin; Joonha Park; Gennaro Pica; Jonas H. Rees; Anne Margit Reitsema; Marika Rullo; Michelle K. Ryan; Adil Samekin; Pekka Santtila; Edyta Sasin; Birga Mareen Schumpe; Heyla A. Selim; Michael Vicente Stanton; Wolfgang Stroebe; Samiah Sultana; Robbie M. Sutton; Eleftheria Tseliou; Akira Utsugi; Jolien Anne Van Breen; Caspar J. Van Lissa; Kees Van Veen; Michelle R. Vandellen; Alexandra Vázquez; Robin Wollast; Victoria Wai-lan Yeung; Somayeh Zand; Iris Lav Žeželj; Bang Zheng; Andreas Zick; Claudia Zúñiga; N. Pontus Leander

doi:10.1016/j.cresp.2021.100028

Concern with COVID-19 pandemic threat and attitudes towards immigrants: The mediating effect of the desire for tightness

Silvana Mula, Daniela Di Santo, Elena Resta, Farin Bakhtiari, Conrad Baldner, Erica Molinario, Antonio Pierro, Michele J. Gelfand, Emmy Denison, Maximilian Agostini, Jocelyn J. Bélanger, Ben Gützkow, Jannis Kreienkamp, Georgios Abakoumkin, Jamilah Hanum Abdul Khaiyom, Vjollca Ahmedi, Handan Akkas, Carlos A. Almenara, Mohsin Atta, Sabahat Cigdem BagciSima Basel, Edona Berisha Kida, Allan B.i. Bernardo, Nicholas R. Buttrick, Phatthanakit Chobthamkit, Hoon-seok Choi, Mioara Cristea, Sára Csaba, Kaja Damnjanovic, Ivan Danyliuk, Arobindu Dash, Karen M. Douglas, Violeta Enea, Daiane Gracieli Faller, Gavan J. Fitzsimons, Alexandra Gheorghiu, Ángel Gómez, Ali Hamaidia, Qing Han, Mai Helmy, Joevarian Hudiyana, Bertus F. Jeronimus, Ding-yu Jiang, Veljko Jovanović, Željka Kamenov, Anna Kende, Shian-ling Keng, Tra Thi Thanh Kieu, Yasin Koc, Kamila Kovyazina, Inna Kozytska, Joshua Krause, Arie W. Kruglanski, Anton Kurapov, Maja Kutlaca, Nóra Anna Lantos, Edward P. Lemay, Cokorda Bagus Jaya Lesmana, Winnifred R. Louis, Adrian Lueders, Najma Iqbal Malik, Anton Martinez, Kira O. Mccabe, Jasmina Mehulić, Mirra Noor Milla, Idris Mohammed, Manuel Moyano, Hayat Muhammad, Hamdi Muluk, Solomiia Myroniuk, Reza Najafi, Claudia F. Nisa, Boglárka Nyúl, Paul A. O'keefe, Jose Javier Olivas Osuna, Evgeny N. Osin, Joonha Park, Gennaro Pica, Jonas H. Rees, Anne Margit Reitsema, Marika Rullo, Michelle K. Ryan, Adil Samekin, Pekka Santtila, Edyta Sasin, Birga Mareen Schumpe, Heyla A. Selim, Michael Vicente Stanton, Wolfgang Stroebe, Samiah Sultana, Robbie M. Sutton, Eleftheria Tseliou, Akira Utsugi, Jolien Anne Van Breen, Caspar J. Van Lissa, Kees Van Veen, Michelle R. Vandellen, Alexandra Vázquez, Robin Wollast, Victoria Wai-lan Yeung, Somayeh Zand, Iris Lav Žeželj, Bang Zheng, Andreas Zick, Claudia Zúñiga, N. Pontus Leander

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Tightening social norms is thought to be adaptive for dealing with collective threat yet it may have negative consequences for increasing prejudice. The present research investigated the role of desire for cultural tightness, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, in increasing negative attitudes towards immigrants. We used participant-level data from 41 countries (N = 55,015) collected as part of the PsyCorona project, a cross-national longitudinal study on responses to COVID-19. Our predictions were tested through multilevel and SEM models, treating participants as nested within countries. Results showed that people's concern with COVID-19 threat was related to greater desire for tightness which, in turn, was linked to more negative attitudes towards immigrants. These findings were followed up with a longitudinal model (N = 2,349) which also showed that people's heightened concern with COVID-19 in an earlier stage of the pandemic was associated with an increase in their desire for tightness and negative attitudes towards immigrants later in time. Our findings offer insight into the trade-offs that tightening social norms under collective threat has for human groups.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	100028
Journal	Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology
Volume	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cresp.2021.100028
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2022

Keywords

COVID-19
Desire for tightness
Negative attitudes
Threat

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10.1016/j.cresp.2021.100028

https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2666622721000216

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Mula, S., Di Santo, D., Resta, E., Bakhtiari, F., Baldner, C., Molinario, E., Pierro, A., Gelfand, M. J., Denison, E., Agostini, M., Bélanger, J. J., Gützkow, B., Kreienkamp, J., Abakoumkin, G., Abdul Khaiyom, J. H., Ahmedi, V., Akkas, H., Almenara, C. A., Atta, M., ... Leander, N. P. (2022). Concern with COVID-19 pandemic threat and attitudes towards immigrants: The mediating effect of the desire for tightness. Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology, 3, 100028. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cresp.2021.100028

@article{d3dad54dcb494c798d9933f15687e1ba,

title = "Concern with COVID-19 pandemic threat and attitudes towards immigrants: The mediating effect of the desire for tightness",

abstract = "Tightening social norms is thought to be adaptive for dealing with collective threat yet it may have negative consequences for increasing prejudice. The present research investigated the role of desire for cultural tightness, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, in increasing negative attitudes towards immigrants. We used participant-level data from 41 countries (N = 55,015) collected as part of the PsyCorona project, a cross-national longitudinal study on responses to COVID-19. Our predictions were tested through multilevel and SEM models, treating participants as nested within countries. Results showed that people's concern with COVID-19 threat was related to greater desire for tightness which, in turn, was linked to more negative attitudes towards immigrants. These findings were followed up with a longitudinal model (N = 2,349) which also showed that people's heightened concern with COVID-19 in an earlier stage of the pandemic was associated with an increase in their desire for tightness and negative attitudes towards immigrants later in time. Our findings offer insight into the trade-offs that tightening social norms under collective threat has for human groups.",

keywords = "COVID-19, Desire for tightness, Negative attitudes, Threat",

author = "Silvana Mula and {Di Santo}, Daniela and Elena Resta and Farin Bakhtiari and Conrad Baldner and Erica Molinario and Antonio Pierro and Gelfand, {Michele J.} and Emmy Denison and Maximilian Agostini and B{\'e}langer, {Jocelyn J.} and Ben G{\"u}tzkow and Jannis Kreienkamp and Georgios Abakoumkin and {Abdul Khaiyom}, {Jamilah Hanum} and Vjollca Ahmedi and Handan Akkas and Almenara, {Carlos A.} and Mohsin Atta and Bagci, {Sabahat Cigdem} and Sima Basel and Kida, {Edona Berisha} and Bernardo, {Allan B.i.} and Buttrick, {Nicholas R.} and Phatthanakit Chobthamkit and Hoon-seok Choi and Mioara Cristea and S{\'a}ra Csaba and Kaja Damnjanovic and Ivan Danyliuk and Arobindu Dash and Douglas, {Karen M.} and Violeta Enea and Faller, {Daiane Gracieli} and Fitzsimons, {Gavan J.} and Alexandra Gheorghiu and {\'A}ngel G{\'o}mez and Ali Hamaidia and Qing Han and Mai Helmy and Joevarian Hudiyana and Jeronimus, {Bertus F.} and Ding-yu Jiang and Veljko Jovanovi{\'c} and {\v Z}eljka Kamenov and Anna Kende and Shian-ling Keng and Kieu, {Tra Thi Thanh} and Yasin Koc and Kamila Kovyazina and Inna Kozytska and Joshua Krause and Kruglanski, {Arie W.} and Anton Kurapov and Maja Kutlaca and Lantos, {N{\'o}ra Anna} and Lemay, {Edward P.} and Lesmana, {Cokorda Bagus Jaya} and Louis, {Winnifred R.} and Adrian Lueders and Malik, {Najma Iqbal} and Anton Martinez and Mccabe, {Kira O.} and Jasmina Mehuli{\'c} and Milla, {Mirra Noor} and Idris Mohammed and Manuel Moyano and Hayat Muhammad and Hamdi Muluk and Solomiia Myroniuk and Reza Najafi and Nisa, {Claudia F.} and Bogl{\'a}rka Ny{\'u}l and O'keefe, {Paul A.} and {Olivas Osuna}, {Jose Javier} and Osin, {Evgeny N.} and Joonha Park and Gennaro Pica and Rees, {Jonas H.} and Reitsema, {Anne Margit} and Marika Rullo and Ryan, {Michelle K.} and Adil Samekin and Pekka Santtila and Edyta Sasin and Schumpe, {Birga Mareen} and Selim, {Heyla A.} and Stanton, {Michael Vicente} and Wolfgang Stroebe and Samiah Sultana and Sutton, {Robbie M.} and Eleftheria Tseliou and Akira Utsugi and {Van Breen}, {Jolien Anne} and {Van Lissa}, {Caspar J.} and {Van Veen}, Kees and Vandellen, {Michelle R.} and Alexandra V{\'a}zquez and Robin Wollast and Yeung, {Victoria Wai-lan} and Somayeh Zand and {\v Z}e{\v z}elj, {Iris Lav} and Bang Zheng and Andreas Zick and Claudia Z{\'u}{\~n}iga and Leander, {N. Pontus}",

year = "2022",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.cresp.2021.100028",

language = "English",

volume = "3",

pages = "100028",

journal = "Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology",

issn = "2666-6227",

publisher = "Elsevier BV",

}

Mula, S, Di Santo, D, Resta, E, Bakhtiari, F, Baldner, C, Molinario, E, Pierro, A, Gelfand, MJ, Denison, E, Agostini, M, Bélanger, JJ, Gützkow, B, Kreienkamp, J, Abakoumkin, G, Abdul Khaiyom, JH, Ahmedi, V, Akkas, H, Almenara, CA, Atta, M, Bagci, SC, Basel, S, Kida, EB, Bernardo, ABI, Buttrick, NR, Chobthamkit, P, Choi, H, Cristea, M, Csaba, S, Damnjanovic, K, Danyliuk, I, Dash, A, Douglas, KM, Enea, V, Faller, DG, Fitzsimons, GJ, Gheorghiu, A, Gómez, Á, Hamaidia, A, Han, Q, Helmy, M, Hudiyana, J, Jeronimus, BF, Jiang, D, Jovanović, V, Kamenov, Ž, Kende, A, Keng, S, Kieu, TTT, Koc, Y, Kovyazina, K, Kozytska, I, Krause, J, Kruglanski, AW, Kurapov, A, Kutlaca, M, Lantos, NA, Lemay, EP, Lesmana, CBJ, Louis, WR, Lueders, A, Malik, NI, Martinez, A, Mccabe, KO, Mehulić, J, Milla, MN, Mohammed, I, Moyano, M, Muhammad, H, Muluk, H, Myroniuk, S, Najafi, R, Nisa, CF, Nyúl, B, O'keefe, PA, Olivas Osuna, JJ, Osin, EN, Park, J, Pica, G, Rees, JH, Reitsema, AM, Rullo, M, Ryan, MK, Samekin, A, Santtila, P, Sasin, E, Schumpe, BM, Selim, HA, Stanton, MV, Stroebe, W, Sultana, S, Sutton, RM, Tseliou, E, Utsugi, A, Van Breen, JA, Van Lissa, CJ, Van Veen, K, Vandellen, MR, Vázquez, A, Wollast, R, Yeung, VW, Zand, S, Žeželj, IL, Zheng, B, Zick, A, Zúñiga, C & Leander, NP 2022, 'Concern with COVID-19 pandemic threat and attitudes towards immigrants: The mediating effect of the desire for tightness', Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology, vol. 3, pp. 100028. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cresp.2021.100028

TY - JOUR

T1 - Concern with COVID-19 pandemic threat and attitudes towards immigrants: The mediating effect of the desire for tightness

AU - Mula, Silvana

AU - Di Santo, Daniela

AU - Resta, Elena

AU - Bakhtiari, Farin

AU - Baldner, Conrad

AU - Molinario, Erica

AU - Pierro, Antonio

AU - Gelfand, Michele J.

AU - Denison, Emmy

AU - Agostini, Maximilian

AU - Bélanger, Jocelyn J.

AU - Gützkow, Ben

AU - Kreienkamp, Jannis

AU - Abakoumkin, Georgios

AU - Abdul Khaiyom, Jamilah Hanum

AU - Ahmedi, Vjollca

AU - Akkas, Handan

AU - Almenara, Carlos A.

AU - Atta, Mohsin

AU - Bagci, Sabahat Cigdem

AU - Basel, Sima

AU - Kida, Edona Berisha

AU - Bernardo, Allan B.i.

AU - Buttrick, Nicholas R.

AU - Chobthamkit, Phatthanakit

AU - Choi, Hoon-seok

AU - Cristea, Mioara

AU - Csaba, Sára

AU - Damnjanovic, Kaja

AU - Danyliuk, Ivan

AU - Dash, Arobindu

AU - Douglas, Karen M.

AU - Enea, Violeta

AU - Faller, Daiane Gracieli

AU - Fitzsimons, Gavan J.

AU - Gheorghiu, Alexandra

AU - Gómez, Ángel

AU - Hamaidia, Ali

AU - Han, Qing

AU - Helmy, Mai

AU - Hudiyana, Joevarian

AU - Jeronimus, Bertus F.

AU - Jiang, Ding-yu

AU - Jovanović, Veljko

AU - Kamenov, Željka

AU - Kende, Anna

AU - Keng, Shian-ling

AU - Kieu, Tra Thi Thanh

AU - Koc, Yasin

AU - Kovyazina, Kamila

AU - Kozytska, Inna

AU - Krause, Joshua

AU - Kruglanski, Arie W.

AU - Kurapov, Anton

AU - Kutlaca, Maja

AU - Lantos, Nóra Anna

AU - Lemay, Edward P.

AU - Lesmana, Cokorda Bagus Jaya

AU - Louis, Winnifred R.

AU - Lueders, Adrian

AU - Malik, Najma Iqbal

AU - Martinez, Anton

AU - Mccabe, Kira O.

AU - Mehulić, Jasmina

AU - Milla, Mirra Noor

AU - Mohammed, Idris

AU - Moyano, Manuel

AU - Muhammad, Hayat

AU - Muluk, Hamdi

AU - Myroniuk, Solomiia

AU - Najafi, Reza

AU - Nisa, Claudia F.

AU - Nyúl, Boglárka

AU - O'keefe, Paul A.

AU - Olivas Osuna, Jose Javier

AU - Osin, Evgeny N.

AU - Park, Joonha

AU - Pica, Gennaro

AU - Rees, Jonas H.

AU - Reitsema, Anne Margit

AU - Rullo, Marika

AU - Ryan, Michelle K.

AU - Samekin, Adil

AU - Santtila, Pekka

AU - Sasin, Edyta

AU - Schumpe, Birga Mareen

AU - Selim, Heyla A.

AU - Stanton, Michael Vicente

AU - Stroebe, Wolfgang

AU - Sultana, Samiah

AU - Sutton, Robbie M.

AU - Tseliou, Eleftheria

AU - Utsugi, Akira

AU - Van Breen, Jolien Anne

AU - Van Lissa, Caspar J.

AU - Van Veen, Kees

AU - Vandellen, Michelle R.

AU - Vázquez, Alexandra

AU - Wollast, Robin

AU - Yeung, Victoria Wai-lan

AU - Zand, Somayeh

AU - Žeželj, Iris Lav

AU - Zheng, Bang

AU - Zick, Andreas

AU - Zúñiga, Claudia

AU - Leander, N. Pontus

PY - 2022/1/1

Y1 - 2022/1/1

N2 - Tightening social norms is thought to be adaptive for dealing with collective threat yet it may have negative consequences for increasing prejudice. The present research investigated the role of desire for cultural tightness, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, in increasing negative attitudes towards immigrants. We used participant-level data from 41 countries (N = 55,015) collected as part of the PsyCorona project, a cross-national longitudinal study on responses to COVID-19. Our predictions were tested through multilevel and SEM models, treating participants as nested within countries. Results showed that people's concern with COVID-19 threat was related to greater desire for tightness which, in turn, was linked to more negative attitudes towards immigrants. These findings were followed up with a longitudinal model (N = 2,349) which also showed that people's heightened concern with COVID-19 in an earlier stage of the pandemic was associated with an increase in their desire for tightness and negative attitudes towards immigrants later in time. Our findings offer insight into the trade-offs that tightening social norms under collective threat has for human groups.

AB - Tightening social norms is thought to be adaptive for dealing with collective threat yet it may have negative consequences for increasing prejudice. The present research investigated the role of desire for cultural tightness, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, in increasing negative attitudes towards immigrants. We used participant-level data from 41 countries (N = 55,015) collected as part of the PsyCorona project, a cross-national longitudinal study on responses to COVID-19. Our predictions were tested through multilevel and SEM models, treating participants as nested within countries. Results showed that people's concern with COVID-19 threat was related to greater desire for tightness which, in turn, was linked to more negative attitudes towards immigrants. These findings were followed up with a longitudinal model (N = 2,349) which also showed that people's heightened concern with COVID-19 in an earlier stage of the pandemic was associated with an increase in their desire for tightness and negative attitudes towards immigrants later in time. Our findings offer insight into the trade-offs that tightening social norms under collective threat has for human groups.

KW - COVID-19

KW - Desire for tightness

KW - Negative attitudes

KW - Threat

U2 - 10.1016/j.cresp.2021.100028

DO - 10.1016/j.cresp.2021.100028

M3 - Article

SN - 2666-6227

VL - 3

SP - 100028

JO - Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology

JF - Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology

ER -

Concern with COVID-19 pandemic threat and attitudes towards immigrants: The mediating effect of the desire for tightness

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