Positive and negative behavioural intentions towards refugees in Turkey: The roles of national identification, threat, and humanitarian concern.

Şenay Yitmen,Maykel Verkuyten

doi:10.1002/casp.2354

Abstract

The present research investigated positive and negative behavioural intentions towards Syrian refugees in Turkey. The behavioural intentions were examined in relation to national identification, perception of threat, and humanitarian concerns. A questionnaire was conducted among Turkish participants (n = 605) and the results showed that respondents made a distinction between negative and positive behavioural intentions towards Syrian refugees. Further, higher national identification was associated with more negative and less positive behavioural intentions, and perception of threat was responsible for these associations. In addition, humanitarian concern was associated with more positive behavioural intentions and less negative ones. Additionally, stronger humanitarian concern weakened the association between threat perceptions and negative behavioural intentions but also strengthened the association between higher threat and lower positive behavioural intentions.

Highlights

The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people who are forced to flee their home because of conflicts and wars (Edwards, 2015)
In addition to humanitarian concern being expected to be associated with behavioural intentions towards refugees, we examined whether these concerns moderate the association between feelings of outgroup threat and positive and negative behavioural intentions
We examined these intentions in relation to national identification and perceptions of threat as well as humanitarian concerns

Summary

Introduction

The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people who are forced to flee their home because of conflicts and wars (Edwards, 2015). This study, conducted in Turkey, examines among self‐identified Turkish citizens positive and negative behavioural intentions towards Syrian refugees and whether these intentions are associated with national identification, perception of threat, and humanitarian concerns. It is investigated whether stronger humanitarian concern is associated with more positive behavioural intentions and less negative behavioural intentions. We examined whether perception of threat mediates the relationship between national identification and positive and negative behavioural intentions and whether the role of threat depends on humanitarian concern. The test of the conditional effect is based on the reasoning that feelings of threat will be less likely to be associated with (negative) behavioural intentions when there are at the same time humanitarian concerns about the welfare of Syrian refugees

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion