Anti-Semitism, Stress, and Interpersonal Evaluations

Abstract

Summary The present study investigated the effect of insult and dislike on evaluations given to neutral strangers by prejudiced and nonprejudiced persons. Ss were 96 male undergraduates scoring in the upper, middle, and lower fifth of the distribution of scores on the Anti-Semitism Scale, and the upper, middle, and lower thirds of the distribution of the California F Scale. Results indicated (a) no differences among prejudiced groups in the low insult, like condition, or the low insult, dislike condition; but (b) significant differences between moderately prejudiced persons and highly prejudiced persons in the high insult, like condition, and between low prejudiced persons and high prejudiced persons in the high insult, dislike condition, with highs being more hostile in each case; (c) significant increases in negativity for moderately prejudiced persons in the low insult, dislike condition compared to the low insult, like condition; (d) significant increases for all prejudiced groups in the high insult, dislike condition compared to the high insult, like condition. Comparison of these results with others suggests that a strong frustration manipulation (insult plus dislike) is necessary to elicit differences among persons of differing degrees of prejudice where there is opportunity to express verbal aggression directly toward the frustrating agent.