Election results can decrease intergroup threat and through that positively affect intergroup relations

Author:

Roth Jenny1ORCID,Steinmann Miriam12,Loughnane Jack1ORCID,Devine Paula3ORCID,Muldoon Orla1ORCID,Shelly Catriona1ORCID,van Tilburg Wijnand A. P.4ORCID,Steffens Melanie C.5ORCID,Campbell Claire6ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Psychology, Centre for Social Issues Research University of Limerick Limerick Ireland

2. Department of Psychology Friedrich‐Schiller University Jena Jena Germany

3. School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work Queen's University Belfast Belfast UK

4. Department of Psychology University of Essex Colchester UK

5. Department of Psychology RPTU Kaiserslautern‐Landau Landau Germany

6. School of Psychology Ulster University Coleraine UK

Abstract

AbstractPrevious research has established that intergroup threat is pivotal to intergroup relations in divided societies. We used the Northern Ireland Assembly Elections in 2022 as a unique chance to investigate how elections can affect feelings of threat and intergroup relations between communities with a history of violent intergroup conflict. We argued that because of their conflicting goals, if Sinn Féin (i.e., a Republican party that promotes a united Ireland) gains more votes than the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP, i.e., a party promoting Northern Ireland's union with the United Kingdom), it would threaten DUP supporters and vice versa. We assessed whether participants supported Sinn Féin or DUP relatively to each other, intergroup threat, and intergroup bias before and after the elections (N = 285). Following an election outcome where Sinn Féin gained more votes than DUP, Sinn Féin supporters showed decreased feelings of threat which in turn decreased their intergroup bias. DUP supporters, the party that received fewer votes, showed no changes in their feelings of threat or intergroup bias. This research highlights how electoral results affect intergroup relations in postconflict societies.

Funder

Irish Research Council

Publisher

Wiley

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