This study examined the relationship between perceived economic threats, cultural threats, and attitudes toward EU immigration among 24 undergraduate psychology students. A correlational analysis found a moderate positive relationship between both perceived economic threats and cultural threats with negative attitudes toward EU immigration. Specifically, perceived economic threats had a stronger relationship with negative immigration attitudes than perceived cultural threats. The results provide support that opposition to immigration can arise from perceptions of both economic competition and cultural differences with immigrants.

1. The Relationship Between Perceived
Economic and Cultural Threats and Attitudes
to EU Immigration
@00324536
Abstract Introduction Methods
Discussion
This study aimed to investigate the
relationship between perceived
economic and cultural threats and
attitudes to EU immigration. Past
research has shown a strong
indicative relationship between
economic factors and attitudes to
immigration (Sides&Citrin 2007); and
cultural factors and attitudes to
immigration(Dustmann and Preston,
2004; Dancygier 2010).
Participants were an opportunity
sample of 24 undergraduate
psychology students. The results were
analysed using Pearson’s correlation
which showed moderate positive
relationship between both perceived
economic threats and cultural
threats and attitudes to immigration.
A correlational design was employed for the present study.
The first variable was attitudes to EU immigration, the second
variable was perceived economic threat and the third variable
was perceived cultural threat. All variables were measured by
analysing the answers to relevant questions on immigration
attitudes, economic and cultural/racial issues. All questions
were taken from Dunstmann & Preston’s (2007) study on the
role of economic and racial factors in the attitudes towards
immigration. Participants were a convenient sample of 24
undergraduate psychology students.
Results of the present study suggest that there is a positive relationship with
both perceived economic and cultural threats and negative attitudes to EU
immigration, however, the relationship between perceived economic threats and
negative attitudes to EU immigration was stronger. This confirms Bloom et al.
(2015) results, who found that although perceived economic and cultural threats
go hand in hand, they manifest in different attitudes, towards different racial
groups. While culturally threatened individuals prefer immigrants who are akin to
themselves; economically threatened individuals prefer immigrants who are
different from themselves and who are not expected to compete for the same
material resources (Bloom et al. 2015). EU immigrants are akin to UK citizens
and perceived as “cheap labourers”, therefore they impose economic threat,
rather than cultural threat to people in the UK (Drinkwater et al. 2008).
Limitations of the study includes small sample size and limited questions to
measure each variables, therefore results should be treated with caution. Future
studies could employ multiple-regression with added variables such as education
level or political orientation. It would be also interesting to explore how political
discourse is affecting the components of negative attitudes towards immigrants
and could be extended to other immigrants e.g. racial minorities.
Results
Variable Mean/ % SD
Age 21.29 3.82
Gender 87.5% (F); 12.5%
(M)
-
Ethnicity 62.5% (White);
37.5% (Visible
Racial Minorities)
-
Fig.1. Participants (N=24)
• significant moderate correlation between perceived economic threat and attitude to
immigration r (23)= +.571, p=.01, one tailed
• significant moderate correlation between perceived cultural threat and negative attitudes
to immigration r (23)= +.467, p=.05, one tailed.
• both results supports the hypotheses that there will be a positive relationship between
perceived economic, and perceived cultural threat and negative attitude towards EU
immigration
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
ATI*
PET**
Result 1. Perceived economic threats
and negative attitudes to immigration
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
ATI*
PCT**
Result 2. Perceived cultural threats
and negative attitudes to immigration
Fig.2. & Fig.3. Results of Correlations: *Attitudes to immigration **Perceived economic /Perceived cultural threat
With the UK general elections a month away,
one of the hottest pre-election topic is EU
immigration. Past research on the opposition of
immigration centred on material and cultural
threats imposed by immigrants (Bloom et al.
2015). Some of these studies found that cultural
threat outperformed material threat
(Sniderman, Hagendoorn& Prior 2004;
Sides&Citrin 2007), however, recent studies
suggested that opposition to immigration can
also arise when natives are in competition with
immigrants for material resources (Dancygier
2010; Gorodzeisky 2011). The present study
therefore predicted that there will be a positive
relationship between perceived economic
threats and negative attitudes to immigration;
and perceived cultural threats and negative
attitudes to immigration.
References
Bloom, P. B.-N., Arikan, G., & Lavar, G. (2015). The effect of percieved cultural and material threats on ethnic preferences in immigration attitudes. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 1-19.
Dancygier, Rafaela M. and Michael J. Donnelly. 2013. “Sectoral Economies, Economic Contexts, and Attitudes toward Immigration.” Journal of Politics 75 (1): 17–35.
Drinkwater, Stephen , and Eade, John, and Grapich, Michal. (2009). EU Enlargement and the Labour Market Outcomes of Immigrants in the United Kingdom. Journal of International Migration 47 (1) 161-188.
Dustmann, C., & Preston, I. P. (2007). Racial and Economic Factors in Attitudes to Immigration. The B.E. Journal of Economic, 1.-39.
Gorodzeisky, Anastasia. 2011. “Who are the Europeans that Europeans Prefer? Economic Conditions and Exclusionary Views toward European Immigrants.” International Journal of Comparative Sociology 52 (1–2)
Sides, John, and Jack Citrin. 2007. “European Opinion about Immigration: The Role of Identities, Interests and Information.” British Journal of Political Science 37 (3): 477–504.
Sniderman, Paul M., Louk Hagendoorn, and Markus Prior. 2004. “Predispositional Factors and Situational Triggers: Exclusionary Reactions to Immigrant Minorities.” American Political Science Review 98 (1): 35–50.