15th Alps Adria Psychology Conference

The different effects of current perceived threats and collective victimhood beliefs on system justification

11 Sep 2024, 15:10

20m

Talk Social Psychology Talk Session 1

Speaker

Barbara Tóth (University of Pécs, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology)

Description

Based on the multidimensional existential threat model, present perceived threats, such as the Ukraine crisis and EU sanctions, and past victimization can be considered as types of collective threat. Under high system threats, people are motivated to adhere to the status quo, resulting in the legitimization of the system. We assumed that the perceived threats of the Ukraine crisis and EU sanctions directly facilitate collective victimhood beliefs and system justification, and collective victimhood enhances the effect of perceived threats on system justification; therefore, it has a mediation role. Furthermore, it was presumed that trust in government measures also has a mediator effect. The data were collected from 477 Hungarians, of whom 223 were males, and their average age was 49. We used the System Justification Scale and the Collective Comparative Victim Beliefs Questionnaire. In addition, we measured the attitude towards Ukrainian immigrants and trust in government measures. The results showed that inclusive victimhood mediated the effect of the perceived threat of the Ukraine crisis; in contrast, the trust in government measures mediated the effect of the perceived threat of EU sanctions. The Ukraine crisis and EU sanctions are different types of perceived threats; the former is physical, while the latter is symbolic. The past weighs on the present; however, institutional trust might better explain the effect of perceived threats on system justification. Therefore, perceived threats can be an effective means of political mobilization, but only if the government is perceived to be able to control the threats.