Fear of Ebola: The Influence of Collectivism on Xenophobic Threat Responses

Healthy Communities Research Institute, Department of Psychological Sciences
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  3. Fear of Ebola: The Influence of Collectivism on Xenophobic Threat Responses
Author(s)
Abstract
In response to the Ebola scare in 2014, many people evinced strong fear and xenophobia. The present study, informed by the pathogen-prevalence hypothesis, tested the influence of individualism and collectivism on xenophobic response to the threat of Ebola. A nationally representative sample of 1,000 Americans completed a survey, indicating their perceptions of their vulnerability to Ebola, ability to protect themselves from Ebola (protection efficacy), and xenophobic tendencies. Overall, the more vulnerable people felt, the more they exhibited xenophobic responses, but this relationship was moderated by individualism and collectivism. The increase in xenophobia associated with increased vulnerability was especially pronounced among people with high individualism scores and those with low collectivism scores. These relationships were mediated by protection efficacy. State-level collectivism had the same moderating effect on the association between perceived vulnerability and xenophobia that individual-level value orientation did. Collectivismand the set of practices and rituals associated with collectivistic culturesmay serve as psychological protection against the threat of disease.
Format
Article
Identifier(s)
10.1177/0956797616642596
Publication Date
2016-07
Publication Title
Psychological Science
Volume
27
Issue
7
First Page
935
Last Page
944
Keywords
Subject
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Community
Healthy Communities Research Institute
Department of Psychological Sciences
Permalink https://oaks.kent.edu/hcri/fear-ebola-influence-collectivism-xenophobic-threat-responses
Kim, H., Sherman, D., & Updegraff, J. (2016). Fear of Ebola: The Influence of Collectivism on Xenophobic Threat Responses (1–). Psychological Science. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797616642596
Kim, Heejung, David Sherman, and John Updegraff. 2016. “Fear of Ebola: The Influence of Collectivism on Xenophobic Threat Responses”. Psychological Science. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797616642596.
Kim, Heejung, et al. Fear of Ebola: The Influence of Collectivism on Xenophobic Threat Responses. Psychological Science, July 2016, https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797616642596.