A Dual Process Model of attitudes toward immigration: Predicting intergroup and international relations with China

Abstract

We integrate the Dual Process Model of Ideology and Prejudice to examine the motivations associated with attitudes toward intergroup relations with Chinese people in New Zealand. We conducted a Structural Equation Model using data from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (N=15,608) to predict (a) warmth toward Chinese people, (b) support for policies promoting increased immigration from China, and (c) support for policies promoting greater trade ties between China and New Zealand. Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) and Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) were uniquely negatively associated with warmth toward Chinese and support for Chinese immigration. However, and as predicted, SDO was positively associated with support for increased trade, whereas RWA was negatively associated. Overall, SDO was most strongly related with low warmth, while RWA was most strongly associated with anti-immigration attitudes. Our model identifies key motives of group-based dominance (SDO) and threat-driven social cohesion (RWA) that inform prejudicial attitudes toward Chinese people in New Zealand. More generally, our model identifies nuances within the DPM framework, revealing subtle differences in the ways SDO and RWA are associated with closely related yet distinct aspects of New Zealanders’ attitudes toward intergroup relations with China and Chinese peoples.