Pandemic and prejudice: Revisiting Bogardus’s social distance concept in a time of COVID-19

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorShi, E.
dc.contributor.authorPlatow, M.J.
dc.contributor.authorBar-Tal, D.
dc.contributor.authorAugoustinos, M.
dc.contributor.authorSpears, R.
dc.contributor.authorVan Rooy, D.
dc.date.issued2024
dc.description.abstractThis study examined when the realistic threat of COVID-19 leads to prejudicial social distancing. American participants reported social distancing preferences from Chinese or Italian people (outgroup target) after viewing increasing or decreasing COVID-19 case numbers (threat level) in China or Italy (threat relevance). On the Bogardus Social Distance Scale, there was support for a disease avoidance hypothesis: greater social distancing preferences were expressed under higher than under lower relevant threats. Responses on a bespoke COVID-19 Social Distance Scale, however, supported an a priori prejudice hypothesis: greater social distancing preferences were expressed toward a Chinese than toward an Italian out-group. Moreover, responses on a separate bespoke Modern Social Distance Scale supported a complex prejudice hypothesis: greater social distancing preferences were expressed toward Chinese than toward Italian out-groups under higher than under lower threat, regardless of threat relevance. These findings suggest that the threat of COVID-19 may enable prejudice expression accompanied by the rationale of disease avoidance.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityEllen Shi, Michael J. Platow, Daniel Bar-Tal, Martha Augoustinos, Russell Spears, and Dirk Van Rooy
dc.identifier.citationGroup Processes & Intergroup Relations, 2024; 27(2):239-255
dc.identifier.doi10.1177/13684302221133715
dc.identifier.issn1368-4302
dc.identifier.issn1461-7188
dc.identifier.orcidAugoustinos, M. [0000-0002-7212-1499]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/147977
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSAGE Publications
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP160101157
dc.rights© The Author(s) 2022.
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1177/13684302221133715
dc.subjectprejudice; realistic threat; social distance
dc.titlePandemic and prejudice: Revisiting Bogardus’s social distance concept in a time of COVID-19
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

Files

Collections

Research Outputs