Patterns and Personality Correlates of Implicit and Explicit Attitudes Toward Christians and Muslims |
| |
Authors: | WADE C ROWATT LEWIS M FRANKLIN & MARLA COTTON |
| |
Institution: | Wade C. Rowatt is Associate Professor in Psychology and Neuroscience at Baylor University, One Bear Place #97334, Waco, TX 76798. E-mail:; Lewis Franklin is a candidate for the Master of Divinity Degree at George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University. E-mail:; Marla Cotton was an undergraduate psychology major at Baylor University. E-mail: |
| |
Abstract: | We explored implicit and explicit attitudes toward Muslims and Christians within a predominantly Christian sample in the United States. Implicit attitudes were assessed with the Implicit Association Test (IAT), a computer program that recorded reaction times as participants categorized names (of Christians and Muslims) and adjectives (pleasant or unpleasant). Participants also completed self-report measures of attitudes toward Christians and Muslims, and some personality constructs known to correlate with ethnocentrism (i.e., right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, impression management, religious fundamentalism, intrinsic-extrinsic-quest religious orientations). Consistent with social identity theory, participants' self-reported attitudes toward Christians were more positive than their self-reported attitudes toward Muslims. Participants also displayed moderate implicit preference for Christians relative to Muslims. This IAT effect could also be interpreted as implicit prejudice toward Muslims relative to Christians. A slight positive correlation between implicit and explicit attitudes was found. As self-reported anti-Arab racism, social dominance orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, and religious fundamentalism increased, self-reported attitudes toward Muslims became more negative. The same personality variables were associated with more positive attitudes toward Christians relative to Muslims on the self-report level, but not the implicit level. |
| |
Keywords: | |
|
|