Demographic, economic, and genetic factors related to national differences in ethnocentric attitudes

Abstract

We conducted a review of factors associated with individual and group level differences in positive ethnocentrism (PE) and negative ethnocentrism (NE). We inter-correlated datasets on national differences in these factors with data from the World Values Survey with regard to national differences in measures of PE and NE. The two different survey items for each construct were strongly correlated, but the constructs themselves were not significantly associated. Multiple regression analyses indicated that NE was mainly related to high levels of cousin marriage and frequency of the DRD4-repeat gene, and that PE was mainly related to a young median population age. Cousin marriage may indicate low levels of trust, DRD4 implies a fast Life History strategy, and young median age is associated with many factors predicting PE.