The majority's perceptions about adaptation to the host society of different immigrant groups: The distinct role of warmth and threat

Abstract

The main objective of this research was to show that majority members differ in their perceptions of different immigrant groups as regards their warmth, competence, similarity, and triggered threat, and that these differences might explain why majority members vary in their perception of adaptation and the perceived need to adapt for different immigrant groups. Particularly, the study aimed to test the distinct role of stereotypes (especially the warmth dimension) and perceived threat (especially realistic threat) in predicting the majority's perception of adaptation and the need for immigrants to adapt. Spanish participants (N=307) responded to a questionnaire assessing Moroccan, Romanian, and Ecuadorian immigrants, reporting their perceptions of adaptation and the need for immigrants to adapt to the host society, on two dimensions of stereotypes (warmth and competence), perceived (realistic and symbolic) threat, and intergroup similarity. Results showed that the majority's perceptions about immigrants were specific to the immigrant target assessed. The psychosocial variables that predicted perception of adaptation and need to adapt differed depending on the immigrant target assessed, although warmth generally predicted perception of adaptation, and perceived threat generally predicted need to adapt. Accordingly, warmth was found to be a mediator in predicting perception of adaptation, whereas perceived realistic threat was a mediator when predicting the need to adapt. Intergroup similarity was a reliable mediator in both perception of adaptation and need to adapt. Overall, warmth seemed to be more closely related with acculturation perceptions, whereas perceived threat was more related with acculturation preferences.