Xenophobia, Prejudice, Stigma, and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Abstract Societies experience racial bias and prejudices in countless facets of life. There is a natural human tendency to dislike and dehumanize those who are different from us. Thus, people blame the outgroup for negative experiences and develop negative attitudes against them. Such tendencies can be exacerbated by fear and stress—as in a pandemic experience. During the pandemic, there are stories of fear-based stigma against people with cough-based allergies, Asians, people who traveled for pleasure, or people who contracted COVID-19. These microlevel behaviors can reflect hatred, xenophobia, and discrimination, which creates negative experiences for targets. The purpose of this chapter is to examine individual-level factors related to general bias (e.g., social identity perspectives, threat, and emotions) and how bias can be applied to enhanced prejudice and discrimination resulting from the pandemic.