As long as the system protects us... The relation between perceived threat, political ideology,
and system justification

Dominika Bulska

University of Warsaw

Perceived threats are one of the most prominent factors shaping intergroup attitudes (Stephan & Stephan, 2000; Stephan, Ybarra, & Bachman, 1999). Various studies show that both intergroup threats (i.e. Stephan & Stephan, 2000) and macrostructural threats (Brambilla & Butz, 2011; Butz & Yogeeswaran, 2011) can influence the perception of and behavior toward outgroup members. At the same time, research on the role that political ideology plays in that relationship is relatively scarce. The aim of this presentation is to discuss how people with different political ideologies perceive both the macrostructural and intergroup threats and how this perception is related to intergroup attitudes.