Abstract
Research in social psychology has long established that racism emerges when people are threatened or confront negative experiences (e.g., economic deprivation). An implicit assumption is that, conversely, positive experiences will be associated with greater tolerance. Using national surveys, the present study contradicts this common sense expectation by revealing that life satisfaction is also positively related to racism. Consistent with relative gratification theory, two psychological processes may partially account for this counterintuitive effect: increased national pride and endorsement of status quo ideologies that support the advantages enjoyed by those who receive benefits from the society (i.e., political conservatism).
Highlights
Research in the Social Sciences has demonstrated repeatedly that negative experiences increase racism (Brown, 1995)
Sobel tests revealed that an increase in national pride (z = 6.66, p < .01) and political conservatism (z = 4.96, p < .01) significantly mediated the effect of life satisfaction on racism
After decades of research on the negative life experiences that are associated with racism, the present study reveals that life satisfaction is associated with greater racism, and apparently to the same degree as life dissatisfaction
Summary
Research in the Social Sciences has demonstrated repeatedly that negative experiences (e.g., economic deprivation, frustration, economic threat) increase racism (Brown, 1995). Recent research in social psychology suggests that positive life experiences may be related to elevated levels of racism. This counterintuitive theorizing points to the need to examine the link between racism and life satisfaction. Because people of privilege tend to endorse ideologies that favor the maintenance of their advantaged lifestyle, (right-wing) political conservatism should mediate this effect. This is because political conservatism provides moral and intellectual support for the status quo by resisting change, and rationalizing the existent inequalities (Jost, Glaser, Kruglanski, & Sulloway, 2003). We hypothesized that the effect of life satisfaction on racism would be mediated by national pride and political conservatism
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