1,721,076 research outputs found
Feelings of coldness towards social groups : The revert to materialist values and the role of indifference
Full text linkPerceptions of economic and security threats have recently led to a change in priorities in the Western world, placing the protection of one's own group well-being and safety over the importance attached to the defense of individual rights. Moreover, various studies have shown that such a reversal in priorities is associated with the rise of cold attitudes towards immigrants and minorities. The aim of the present research is to analyze the association between materialistic values and feelings of coldness towards various social groups, by considering the mediation effect of intergroup indifference, defined as being uncaring in regard to arbitrary policies affecting other social groups. The results supported the hypothesis. Materialistic values are indeed positively correlated with cold attitudes towards social groups, and this relationship is fully mediated by intergroup indifference. The results show that the study of intergroup dynamics should consider the role of intergroup indifference as it identifies a strategy of de-responsibilization that may be implemented blamelessly
Countering anti-democratic policies in democracies : the importance of value-oriented citizenship
Full text linkLiving in democratic systems may lead the citizens of those countries to be less vigilant of the policies enforced by their governments, with the risk of endorsing anti-democratic measures. Rights violations can indeed occur even in a democratic country. The aim of the present research is to understand whether people tend to be more accepting of repressive police actions when they occur in a country considered democratic than when they are perpetrated in a country considered authoritarian. Results on 363 Italian participants showed that participants were less ready to condemn a violent police intervention when it occurred in a country perceived to be democratic than in one considered to be less so. Moreover, as hypothesized, this paradox is supported more by people with a low value orientation, while people with a high value orientation do not accept intervention in either context. The implication of this research was to show the importance of considering theories that focus on the legitimacy of the authority's demands. Specifically, the political orientation theory emphasizes the importance of monitoring the policies issued even by established democracies to protect from their possible degeneration into autocracies
The indifference that makes a difference: Why unconcern for minorities disguises prejudicial attitudes
Full text linkStudies on historical episodes of intergroup violence and conflicts have underlined the complicit role of bystanders in extreme intergroup dynamics. In regard to contemporary multicultural societies, the concept of intergroup indifference has recently been introduced, defined as being uncaring vis-a-vis arbitrary policies affecting other social groups. In the present manuscript, the reasons why an indifferent position towards minorities may imply some prejudicial attitudes towards them will be analyzed. In particular, moral disengagement and lack of social responsibility are considered to be variables that could explain why indifference might mask prejudicial attitudes and a lack of altruism for out-groups. The results show that moral disengagement and social responsibility are indeed significant mediators of the prediction of intergroup indifference to racism and altruism. In particular, the mediation model shows that moral disengagement partially mediates the path from indifference to racism, while social responsibility partially mediates that from indifference to altruism
Backing unequal policies: The complicit role of intergroup indifference
No full textBy studying the violent intergroup conflicts that occurred in the last century, some sociopsychological studies have underlined the relevant role of passive bystanders in nonobstructing and in some ways supporting these conflicts. The complicit role of bystanders and indifferent people in supporting human rights restrictions may be recognized in more contemporary societies as well. The aim of the present research is to analyze the effect of indifference on prejudicial attitudes, punitiveness, and values of equality. In particular, the relevant contribution of indifference in explaining prejudicial attitudes toward the out-group beyond the effects of authoritarianism and social dominance orientation is investigated. Results confirm the hypotheses. Higher levels of intergroup indifference are associated with higher levels of prejudice, punitiveness, and lower importance attached to values of equality. Moreover, after the inclusion of the effects of indifference, if authoritarian aggression remains a robust predictor of these variables, SDO decreases its predictive power
Italian version of the RIVEC prejudice scale
No full textThe effects of intergroup contact on intolerance and discrimination have been a classical topic in social psychology. Research has indeed focused on how the coexistence of different cultures affects intergroup dynamics, particularly the processes that are related to tolerant versus biased attitudes towards other social groups. Based on the classic blatant-subtle prejudice scale, the RIVEC Prejudice Scale was recently proposed, which assesses prejudice by way of five components: threat and rejection (Rejection), loss of intimacy (Intimacy), traditional values (Values), denial of positive emotions (Emotions), and cultural differences (Culture). In the present research, 409 participants responded to the Italian version of this scale and to other scales related to prejudice: i.e., modern racism, social dominance orientation (SDO), ethnocentrism, and zero-sum competition. RIVEC’s internal reliabilities were investigated and a confirmatory factor analysis was performed. Results show adequate fit of both the total score and the single five dimensions
Runaway rights : a closer look at different rights visions and entitlement perceptions
Full text linkWe live in an age of rights in which individual rights and freedoms are highly prioritized, often overshadowing duties and responsibilities. This makes it increasingly challenging to discern the balance between one's own rights and the protection of the fundamental rights of all individuals. Moghaddam and colleagues (2024) introduced a model illustrating how rights evolve from being contested, to becoming normative, and eventually facing a backlash or exploitation for self-serving interests. In this commentary, we explore differing views on rights and entitlements. From a collective perspective, we identify factors that help distinguish between social movements advocating rights in an individualistic manner and those pursuing them democratically. Social responsibility and moral inclusion serve as key indicators for distinguishing pro-social from anti-social movements. On an individual level, we examine what causes some people to view rights through an individualistic lens, while others ground them in personal and social responsibilities. Specifically, perceptions of equal entitlement (i.e. self-respect) are tied to a focus on universal rights based on shared humanity and dignity, which also includes acknowledging equal rights for others. We discuss how these distinctions are relevant for Moghaddam et al.'s model and how equal entitlement beliefs can be fostered in societies
Self-respect and responsibility : understanding individuals' entitlement beliefs and their association with concern for others' rights
Full text linkPeople differ in their understanding of the (civic) rights they are endowed with in modern societies. Whereas a perception of having more rights than others has been linked to over-individualistic attitudes and negative interpersonal behavior, a perception of having the same rights as others (i.e., self-respect) can be assumed to facilitate a balance between concern for one's own and others' rights. In two cross-sectional studies, we showed that self-respect was associated with concern for human rights and with concern for the rights of future generations even when controlling for other entitlement beliefs. The results also showed that a feeling of social responsibility mediated these relationships. The broader consequence for balancing rights and duties to achieve social harmony are discussed
Authority Relationships between obedience and disobedience
No full textRecent episodes of public dissent (such as the demonstrations against G8 policies) raise the issue of the psychological processes triggered in obeying and disobeying the authority. Even if obedience to authority is an important aspect of social life and it plays a key role in maintaining social order, the concept of obedience has been studied in social psychology mainly in terms of its destructive aspects. Besides, most of the studies have overlooked the role of disobedience in the authority relationship. Disobedience may be conceived of as a protest that undermines the legitimacy of the authority or it can represent an instrument for controlling the legitimacy of the authority's demands, becoming a factor protecting against authoritarianism. In this article, a new perspective on the study of the relationship between the individual and the authority is put forward, considering obedience and disobedience as parallel concepts, each having constructive and destructive aspects
Obedience-disobedience dynamic and the role of responsibility
No full textObedience has been thoroughly studied in social psychology, both in its positive and negative aspects. Nevertheless, in these empirical studies disobedience has been considered to be the opposite of obedience and indeed its negation. Instead, some recent studies suggest that if obedience to authority is important in ensuring the continuity of social and group life, disobedience is crucial, under some circumstances, in stopping the authority relationship from degenerating into an authoritarian relationship. In this perspective, disobedience may be conceived of as a protest undermining the legitimacy of authority, or else it can represent an instrument of the community for controlling the legitimacy of the authority's demands, becoming a factor safeguarding against authoritarianism. The aim of the present study was to empirically verify the dynamics existing between disobedience and obedience. The results show that people who attach importance to both obedience and disobedience in the relationship between the individual and society recognize the importance of democratic values and consider themselves responsible for the defence of human rights. Instead, people who only recognize the value of obedience and consider disobedience as a threat to the status quo are more authoritarian, individualistic people
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