Threat Appraisal Research Articles

Multimodal Sensemaking and Sensegiving Processes of Discursive Threat Appraisal in Environmental Crisis Communication

ABSTRACTThis study investigates how multimodal sensemaking and sensegiving processes of discursive threat appraisal are employed by global movements in their environmental crisis communication when disclosing how corporate commitments are failing to reduce the global plastic pollution. The theoretical framework includes perspectives on global sticky crises, threat appraisal, framing, crisis sensemaking and sensegiving, and multimodal discourse. Empirically, a series of brand audits reports of #breakfreefromplastic global movement are systematically examined. The analytical focus transcends the usual monomodal approach and is directed towards the multimodal interplay that builds strategic discourses through images and texts. Findings details, on the one hand, the multimodal discursive sensemaking processes of content enrichment and appeal bolstering as well as their outcomes related to the building of common sense, new sense, and non‐sense; on the other hand, they clarify how prognostic, diagnostic, and motivational framing tasks are accomplished in environmental crisis sensegiving by the global movement. This study provides insights useful to corporations when reevaluating their own crisis sensemaking and sensegiving in corporate communications and, ultimately, contribute to changing risky corporate behaviour toward more effective and ethical environmental crisis prevention and communication.

Codesigning a Digital Type 2 Diabetes Risk Communication Tool in Singapore: Qualitative Participatory Action Research Approach.

Diabetes is a serious public health concern worldwide. Despite public health efforts encouraging early screening and improving knowledge of effective interventions for those at increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), the incorporation of preventative behaviors into an individual's daily life remains suboptimal. Successfully and accurately increasing risk perception has been demonstrated to increase behavioral intention. The study aims to codesign a T2D risk communication tool by engaging public participants to (1) identify key characteristics that contribute to an effective risk communication tool and (2) test and iterate to develop a culturally sensitive and meaningful risk communication tool that can motivate T2D preventative behaviors. We adopted a novel methodology, "Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Hawkers," where we approached patrons at hawker centers and public eateries frequented by all local residents to evaluate and test 3 prototypes for the tool. The three prototypes were (1) "Diabetes Onset"-estimated age of diabetes onset of T2D based on one's risk factors, (2) "Relative Risk"-the relative risk of T2D is presented in a 1-10 scale indicating where one's risk score lie in relation to others, and (3) "Metabolic Age"-the median age of the risk category based on one's risk factors, presented to be compared against their chronological age. We gathered reactions and feedback through rapid testing and iteration to understand which risk result presentation would be received the best. All the collected data were revisited and analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis to identify the key characteristics contributing to an effective risk communication tool. We engaged with 112 participants (female: n=59, 56%) across 6 hawker centers. The key characteristics that were important to participants emerged in four main themes: (1) appeal and user experience, in terms of format and readability; (2) trust and validity of the institution providing the tool and the accuracy of the risk result; (3) threat appraisal: salience of risk information, which influenced their risk perception; and (4) coping appraisal: facilitators for behavior change, which impacted their intention for implementing T2D preventative behaviors. The predictive nature of the prototype entitled "Diabetes Onset" was poorly received and removed after the first iteration. The Relative Risk prototype was valued for being straightforward but feared to be boring. The Metabolic Age prototype was anticipated to be more motivating for behavior change, but there were some concerns that the terminology may not be understood by everyone. Participants were divided on which of the 2 prototypes, "Metabolic Age" or "Relative Risk," they would favor adopting. Further testing is now required to determine which prototype will be more effective in motivating behavior change. This study's insights on the design process and valued characteristics of a risk communication tool will inform future development of such interventions.

Evaluating the usefulness of Protection Motivation Theory for predicting climate change mitigation behavioral intentions among a US sample of climate change deniers and acknowledgers

BackgroundThis paper summarizes data from 7 studies that used Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to guide climate messaging with the goal of increasing climate-mitigating behavioral intentions. Together, the studies address 5 research questions. 1) Does PMT predict behavioral intentions in the context of climate change mitigation? 2) Does PMT work similarly for climate change deniers vs acknowledgers? 3) Are the effects of threat and efficacy additive or multiplicative? 4) Does adding measures of collective threat and efficacy improve the model accuracy for a collective problem like climate change? 5) Can threat and efficacy appraisals – and ultimately behavioral intentions – be shifted through climate messaging?MethodsSeven online experiments were conducted on US adults (N = 3,761) between 2020 and 2022. Participants were randomly assigned to a control condition or to one of several experimental conditions designed to influence threat, efficacy, or both. Participants indicated their belief in climate change, ethnicity, gender, and political orientation. They completed measures of personal threat and efficacy, collective threat and efficacy, and behavioral intentions.ResultsMultiple regressions, ANCOVAs, and effect sizes were used to evaluate our research questions. Consistent with PMT, threat and efficacy appraisals predicted climate mitigation behavioral intentions, even among those who denied climate change. Different interactions emerged for climate deniers and acknowledgers, suggesting that in this context threat and efficacy are not just additive in their effects (but these effects were small). Including measures of collective threat and efficacy only modestly improved the model. Finally, evidence that threat and efficacy appraisals can be shifted was weak and inconsistent; mitigation behavioral intentions were not reliably influenced by the messages tested.ConclusionsPMT effectively predicts climate change mitigation behavioral intentions among US adults, whether they deny climate change or acknowledge it. Threat appraisals may be more impactful for deniers, while efficacy appraisals may be more impactful for acknowledgers. Including collective-level measures of threat and efficacy modestly improves model fit. Contrary to PMT research in other domains, threat and efficacy appraisals were not easily shifted under the conditions tested here, and increases did not reliably lead to increases in behavioral intentions.

The Impact of Home Environment Insecurity on Tourists’ Self-Protective Behavior in the Event of a Terrorist Attack

Terrorist attacks have a profound and lasting impact on tourism destinations and tourists’ safety. By applying protection motivation theory as the theoretical lens and adopting the threat of a terrorist attack in London as the study context, this study examines the impact of home environment insecurity on tourists’ risk evaluation (i.e., threat and coping appraisals) and self-protective behavioral intentions amid a terrorism incident while traveling. Data were collected from 793 U.S.-based respondents in Amazon-Mturk. The results show that tourists’ home environment insecurity has a positive (vs. negative) impact on their threat (vs. coping) appraisal of the terrorism related risk. Notably, the lack of security in one’s home environment indirectly affects tourists’ tendency to adopt self-protective measures, through tourists’ coping appraisal in relation to their self-efficacy and response-efficacy. This study offers valuable theoretical and practical insights that may enhance tourist safety during a terrorism incident.

Analyzing Protection Motivation Theory and Cognitive Failures in Texting While Driving Behavior Among Young Drivers

ABSTRACTTexting while driving (TWD) poses a significant hazard, particularly among young adults, as it requires simultaneous engagement in competing tasks. Despite widespread awareness of its dangers, drivers continue to engage in TWD. This study investigates the psychological and cognitive factors that influence TWD, employing the protection motivation theory (PMT). Structural equation modeling was conducted on a sample of 674 survey respondents aged 18–25. Factors influencing TWD behavior were revealed, including response cost, threat vulnerability, cognitive failure, self‐efficacy, and threat severity. Response cost was the primary barrier. Notably, not all subdimensions of threat appraisal and coping appraisal have a direct impact on TWD; cognitive failures serve as a mediator solely between threat vulnerability and response cost. An understanding of TWD provides insights into the TWD behavior of young drivers. By integrating the PMT with cognitive failure, this approach informs the development of interventions and regulations aimed at discouraging TWD and improving road safety.

Residential water choices: Assessing the willingness to adopt alternative water sources by examining risk perceptions and personal norms in Belgium

With escalating freshwater scarcity, transformative shifts in infrastructure, technology, and societal attitudes are essential. This study applies Protection Motivation Theory to explore how perceived water scarcity impacts individuals' willingness to reduce tap water consumption and increase the use of alternative sources in households. An online survey (n = 2623) in Belgium assessed acceptance of tap water, rainwater, and recycled greywater for various household activities. Sequential regression analysis examined the influence of threat appraisal, coping appraisal, personal norms, and socio-demographics on this willingness. The results indicate that willingness to conserve tap water is strongly driven by self-efficacy rather than risk appraisal. Conversely, willingness to use rainwater and recycled greywater depends on perceived future water scarcity, perceived self-efficacy, and personal norms. Perceptions of present water scarcity negatively influenced the willingness to use rainwater and recycled greywater, suggesting a boomerang effect. However, future water scarcity perceptions encourage the use of alternative water sources, providing a nuanced perspective. These findings provide valuable insights into the acceptance of alternative water sources and underline the importance of context-specific approaches, enhancing self-efficacy and personal norms to encourage the adoption of alternative water sources for household activities, ensuring effective freshwater conservation.

Challenge or Threat? Proposing and Testing a Career Shock Coping Model

Career shocks can significantly impact individuals’ career development. We propose that how a career shock affects career development depends on how people appraise it. Specifically, our Career Shock Coping (CSC) model proposes that, dependent on personal characteristics, individuals differ in the extent to which they appraise career shocks as challenging and/or threatening. Challenge and threat appraisals inspire approach- and avoidance-oriented career behaviors, respectively, which differentially relate to career-related outcomes. A two-wave study was conducted among medical students ( N = 279) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as a career shock. Supporting our CSC model, core self-evaluation (CSE) related negatively to threat appraisal and threat appraisal related positively to avoidance-oriented career behavior. Avoidance-oriented career behavior related positively to career decision-making stress. The relations between CSE, challenge appraisal, approach-oriented career behavior, and career decision-making stress were not significant. The findings have implications for career shocks research and career counseling practice.

A sustainable step forward: Exploring factors influencing the purchase intentions towards remanufactured products using fsQCA

The rapid advancement of industrialization has led to a growing concern about resource shortages and environmental pollution. Sustainable manufacturing practices, particularly in the context of remanufactured products, have been extensively researched from the B2B perspective. Comparatively fewer studies have examined consumer behavior in the context of remanufactured electrical appliances. This study merges components from the Theory of Planned Behavior and Protection Motivation Theory with additional variables into a framework for predicting purchase intentions. Noting the complex, asymmetric nature of causation, an asymmetrical configurational approach using fsQCA is used for analysis. Data were collected form 411 consumers in the U.K using quota sampling technique. The findings show that both components of attitude (experiential and instrumental) as well as a high threat appraisal (perceived severity and vulnerability) are present in all configurations predicting high purchase intention. Self-efficacy and response efficacy are also important conditions present in many configurations. The paper ends with some novel insights on consumer behavior with respect to remanufactured products, and a discussion of theoretical and managerial implications.

Exploring the determinants of online health service usage intentions under the threat of air pollution.

The rapid evolution of online health services (OHS) has significantly improved healthcare accessibility. However, the impact of air pollution on individuals' willingness to engage with OHS remains underexplored in the existing literature. This study addresses this gap by investigating how air pollution threats influence the intention to use OHS, grounded in Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and Rational Choice Theory (RCT). Using cross-sectional survey data, a theoretical model was developed and tested to examine the relationships between threat appraisal, coping appraisal, perceived benefits, perceived costs, and OHS usage intentions. The findings indicate that threat appraisal, coping appraisal, and perceived benefits positively affect the intention to use OHS, while perceived costs negatively impact usage intention. Additionally, age significantly moderates the relationship between coping appraisal and the intention to use OHS. This study extends the application of PMT and RCT in the context of OHS. It provides valuable insights into the factors influencing users' intentions to utilize these services, with implications for improving OHS adoption in environments affected by air pollution.

Predictors of risk reduction behavior: Evidence in last-mile communities

Despite extensive research using Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to analyze factors influencing protective behaviors during disasters, understanding how last-mile communities in vulnerable contexts—particularly in the Philippines—respond to early warning messages remains limited. This understanding is crucial, as these communities often bear the brunt of extreme weather events. Drawing data from surveys and semi-structured interviews, this study examined the predictors of risk reduction behaviors before and after Super Typhoon Mangkhut in two last-mile communities in Northern Philippines — Cabalitian and Mapita. Regression analysis demonstrated that all threat appraisal variables—perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, and fear—are predictors of risk reduction behaviors before Mangkhut. Coping appraisal variables, specifically response efficacy and self-efficacy, also positively influenced risk reduction action before Mangkhut. Among socio-demographic variables, only gender and age are predictors of risk reduction behaviors, with their influence varying between the two communities. Expanding the application of PMT, prior typhoon experience, trust, and social network strength also positively and significantly influenced risk reduction behaviors before and after Mangkhut. The study identified key infrastructural, institutional, and operational interventions to enhance coping capacity and reduce vulnerability in these communities, alongside policy implications to inform disaster risk reduction strategies and empower local preparedness efforts.

Sell your soul for a pot of gold: Privacy paradox in surveillance capitalism

The current study aims to examine the underlying psychological processes involved in privacy protection behaviors among tourists in retail environments using surveillance technologies. Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and Privacy Calculus Theory (PCT) were employed to understand threat and coping appraisals, benefits (control vs monetary), and their relationships with protective behavioral intentions and actual behaviors. Data was collected from 554 respondents who had visited a retail store while traveling in the past 6 months using an online questionnaire. Three structural equation models, full mediation, partial mediation, and moderated mediation were tested and compared. The partial mediation model exhibited the best fit. Perceived severity and susceptibility increased protective behavioral intentions, while self-efficacy decreased intentions. Control compensation positively influenced intentions only. Behavioral intentions partially mediated relationships between independent variables and actual protective behaviors. No significant moderation effects were found. Integrating PMT and PCT addresses a significant gap in examining tourists’ privacy-protective behaviors in retail surveillance contexts. Additionally, it clarifies the effectiveness of control and monetary benefits in mitigating privacy concerns.

How Curiosity Enhances Performance: Mechanisms of Physiological Engagement, Challenge and Threat Appraisal, and Novelty Deprivation

Research has shown that curiosity plays a crucial role in human performance and well-being. Based on multi-dimensional models of curiosity, we examined potential underlying mechanisms for this relationship. Extending prior research, we expected state and trait variants of curiosity to predict more challenge and less threat appraisals for novel tasks (i.e., joyous exploration dimension), stronger dissatisfaction when denied opportunities to do something interesting (i.e., deprivation sensitivity dimension), and persist longer under stress states (i.e., stress tolerance). We asked 123 participants to prepare and deliver a speech titled "Why are you a good friend?" After preparation, participants were informed that they were randomly selected not to perform the task. Throughout the experiment, we recorded heart rate reactivity as a physiological indicator of task engagement. We found that individuals curious about the upcoming task felt more challenged, less threatened, and presented longer physiological engagement than less curious individuals. Curious individuals expressed more disappointment about the missed opportunity to deliver the speech. In summary, this study revealed theoretically derived mechanisms that partially account for associations between curiosity and positive life outcomes while also indicating adverse effects.

Organizational Environment, Protection Motives, Adoption of Machine Learning, and Cybersecurity Behavior

The research presented in this intensive study uncovers the complex interaction between organizational and individual drivers affecting cybersecurity behavior within organizations. Its major focus is analyzing the impact of organizational policies and culture, training, and awareness programs on the cybersecurity conduct of employees. This paper also examines self-protective behavior related to risk perception, perceived self-efficiency, and response efficacy, which explains how these variables may influence self-protective behaviors. According to the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), the study unravels how individuals' different elements of threat appraisal, coping appraisal, and cost-benefit analysis contribute to their decisions to apply cybersecurity behaviors. It also underlines that machine learning is being used more and more in cybersecurity and demonstrates some important ML concepts in modern cybersecurity, such as picking up the right data to train with, coping with adversarial attacks, and, last but not least, making the models interpretable. Ultimately, having a comprehensive understanding of these cybersecurity behaviors may shed new light on mechanisms that can be used to develop cybersecurity strategies and technologies to help protect against the rapidly changing landscape of cyber threats. All research papers have an abstract. It can be created by simply compiling the main points (summary) of each section of the research paper.

Diverging Effects of Violence Exposure and Psychiatric Symptoms on Amygdala-Prefrontal Maturation During Childhood and Adolescence

BackgroundViolence exposure during childhood and adolescence is associated with increased prevalence and severity of psychopathology. Neurobiological correlates suggest that abnormal maturation of emotion-related brain circuitry, such as the amygdala-prefrontal cortex (PFC) circuit, may underlie the development of psychiatric symptoms after exposure. However, it remains unclear how amygdala-PFC circuit maturation is related to psychiatric risk in the context of violence. MethodsIn this study, we analyzed individual differences in amygdala-PFC circuit maturity using data collected from the PNC (Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort) (n = 1133 youths). Neurodevelopment models of amygdala-PFC resting-state functional connectivity were built using deep learning and trained to predict chronological age in typically developing youths (not violence exposed and without a psychiatric diagnosis). Using the brain age gap estimate, an index of relative circuit maturation, patterns of atypical neurodevelopment were investigated. ResultsViolence exposure was associated with delayed maturation of basolateral amygdala (BLA)–PFC circuits, driven by increased BLA–medial orbitofrontal cortex functional connectivity. In contrast, increased psychiatric symptoms were associated with advanced maturation of BLA-PFC functional connectivity, driven by decreased BLA–dorsolateral PFC functional connectivity. ConclusionsDelayed frontoamygdala maturation after exposure to violence suggests atypical, but adaptive, development of threat appraisal processes, potentially reflecting a greater threat generalization characteristic of younger children. Advanced circuit maturation with increasing symptoms suggests divergent neurodevelopmental mechanisms underlying illness after emotion circuits have adapted to adversity, exacerbated by preexisting vulnerabilities to early maturation. Disentangling the effects of adversity and psychopathology on neurodevelopment is crucial for helping youths recover from violence and preventing illness from continuing into adulthood.

Connecting the Dots with Causal Attitude Network (CAN): A Psychological Network Approach to Populist Attitudes, Nativism, Conspiracy Mentality and Threat Appraisals

ABSTRACT This methodological paper uses a new conceptualization of attitudes, the Causal Attitude Network (CAN) model, to investigate populism and nativism. The CAN model conceptualizes attitudes as a complex system of interrelated factors and captures different attitude components’ interplay and mutual dependence. Drawing on two previously collected, representative datasets (N 1 = 8046, N 2 = 2030) from 15 European countries, we estimated the networks structure of populist attitudes (PA), nativism, conspiracy mentality, threat appraisals, and demographics. Besides confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and exploratory factor analyses (EFA), our general procedure included the estimation of Mixed Graphical Models (MGMs) with LASSO Regularization and the Extended Bayesian Information Criterion (EBIC), before we analyzed our network models with the Walktrap algorithm and Network Comparison Test (NCT). A cluster analysis based on different algorithms (hierarchical, clara, pam) divided the countries into two clusters, while the main difference between them was how the networks related to perceiving politicians as corrupt elites. To gain a deeper understanding of the PA scale, we investigated it from a network perspective. We found that the PA network of Turkey (a hybrid case of religious-conservative and nationalist-authoritarian) differed the most from all other countries under investigation.

The Challenge-Hindrance-Threat Appraisal Framework and the Differential Effects on Employees' Work Well-Being and Behaviors.

Considering the current economic and employment landscape, marked by high levels of uncertainty and challenges, this study introduces the challenge-hindrance-threat appraisal (CHTA) framework to examine workplace stress, with a particular focus on the often-overlooked role of threat appraisal. Across three studies using independent samples and multi-wave survey data, our research provides evidence supporting the CHTA framework and reveals the differential effects of three types of stress appraisals on the work-related well-being and behaviors of individuals. Specifically, Study 1 establishes the three-factor structure of CHTA, confirming its robust psychometric properties in each appraisal dimension. Study 2 demonstrates that threat appraisals offer unique insights into stress-related outcomes, beyond challenge and hindrance appraisals. Study 3 reveals that challenge appraisals foster learning behavior through enhancing work engagement and reduce turnover intentions through alleviating emotional exhaustion. Conversely, threat appraisals escalate turnover intentions through intensifying emotional exhaustion. Interestingly, hindrance appraisals exhibit no significant effect on either work engagement or emotional exhaustion, precluding any indirect influence on learning behavior or turnover intentions. In conclusion, this research underscores the importance of differentiating between the three types of cognitive appraisals of stress-namely, challenge, hindrance, and threat appraisals-in stress management in order to enhance employee well-being and organizational effectiveness.

The driving effect of experience: How perceived frequency of floods and feeling of loss of control are linked to household-level adaptation

This study examines how perceived and remembered flood experiences, measured as frequent flood experience (FFE) and loss of control experience (LCE) during the last flood, are related to individual protection motivation. Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) builds the theoretical basis of this study, describing protection motivation as a result of threat and coping appraisals. To evaluate the relationship between flood experience and protective behavior, we applied structural equation modeling using survey data from 2020 conducted in Saxony, Germany (n = 1,884). Four main conclusions can be drawn: first, both applied measures of experience, FFE and LCE, are positively associated with threat appraisal, leading to a positive link to protection motivation. Second, FFE and LCE negatively relate to coping appraisal, culminating in an overall negative relationship with protection motivation. Third, FFE has a stronger direct link to protection motivation, and LCE has a stronger indirect link via threat and coping appraisals. Fourth, the relationship between LCE and threat appraisals decreases over time, while the relationship between FFE and threat appraisals does not diminish. The study underscores the importance of considering individual flood experience to understand protective behavior in the context of increasing flood frequencies. Moreover, including affective measures of experience, such as LCE, can improve our understanding of why some flood-prone people undertake protective measures whereas others do not.

Gendered implications for climate change adaptation among farmers in Madagascar

ABSTRACT Climate change is impacting farmers worldwide; none more so than the millions of smallholder farmers who rely entirely on rain-fed agriculture. Adapting agricultural practices is an important strategy to mitigate climate change’s harmful impacts to food security and livelihoods. Researchers have increasingly sought to understand the factors influencing farmer decision-making on adaptation practices but application of important theories in low-income country contexts is lacking. Therefore, we apply the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to examine farmer intention to adopt agricultural practices in response to climate change based on a survey of 328 smallholder farmers in rural Madagascar. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) to describe the relationship between social connectedness (e.g., interactions with others about farming-related issues), PMT constructs (threat and coping appraisal), and intention to adapt agricultural practices to climate change, we find that coping appraisal is a stronger predictor of intention to adapt than threat appraisal. Further, SEM results show a significant negative relationship between social connectedness and threat appraisal – farmers with greater social connectedness perceive climate change to be less of a threat. Additionally, as female farmers are significantly less socially connected than male farmers, this study provides further evidence of the gendered vulnerabilities to climate change among smallholders. This research has implications for the design of policies and interventions that consider farmer social networks, critical for reducing threat and building coping capacity, in supporting adaptation to climate change among vulnerable farmer populations.

Using RECAST theory to examine racial stress appraisal across high schools: Differences in racial threat and support

Data from 318 diverse high school students from three different types of high schools in the United States were collected. School types varied by location (e.g., suburban, urban), size, and student demographics (e.g., race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status). Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted to examine the factor structure of the STRESS-Y. Mean comparisons were performed to assess variations in Racial Stress Appraisal across different school types. The EFA of the STRESS-Y confirmed its factor structure, supporting its validity as a measure of RSA in youth and we were able to extract two robust factors—Racial Threat Appraisal and Racial Support Appraisal. Mean comparisons revealed that Racial Threat Appraisal and Racial Support Appraisal varied across different school types, highlighting the influence of school context on students' experiences of racial stress. This study provides evidence for the validity of the STRESS-Y as a measure of Racial Stress Appraisal in youth. The findings demonstrate the importance of considering school type as a factor influencing students' experiences of racial stress as well as how support, racial coping, and stress management skills may help mitigate ongoing interpersonal harm that youth are experiencing. The validated measure and the understanding of the factors contributing to Racial Stress Appraisal can inform interventions aimed at supporting students in managing and coping with racial stressors in their respective school environments.

“Will they assume I’m racist?” How racial ingroup members’ stereotypical behavior impacts White Americans’ interracial interaction experiences

Three studies ( N = 1,427) examine White Americans’ threat and stress appraisals and coping strategies in imagined inter- and intraracial interactions when a nearby White person does something racist. White individuals report heightened concern about being stereotyped as racist (i.e., metastereotyping) following an ingroup member’s stereotype-confirming (vs. neutral) behavior (Studies 1–3). Moreover, across studies, these heightened metastereotypes predict greater anxiety, which in turn predicts anticipated coping strategies (e.g., increased motivation to disprove the stereotype). Additionally, relative to imagined interactions with a White partner, these consequences of witnessing a White person’s anti-Black bias are significantly stronger with a Black or Latinx (Studies 1 and 2) but not an Asian (Study 3, preregistered) interaction partner. This work highlights how an ingroup member’s racist behavior is a situational stressor for White people during intergroup encounters, engendering coping strategies to protect the self and manage the ensuing interaction.