TY - JOUR
T1 - Election results can decrease intergroup threat and through that positively affect intergroup relations
AU - Roth, Jenny
AU - Steinmann, Miriam
AU - Loughnane, Jack
AU - Devine, Paula
AU - Muldoon, Orla
AU - Shelly, Catriona
AU - van Tilburg, Wijnand A.P.
AU - Steffens, Melanie C.
AU - Campbell, Claire
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors. Political Psychology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society of Political Psychology.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Previous 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.
AB - Previous 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.
KW - electoral outcome/decision
KW - intergroup bias
KW - intergroup conflict
KW - Northern Ireland assembly elections
KW - social identity/intergroup threat
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85186423289&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/pops.12960
DO - 10.1111/pops.12960
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85186423289
SN - 0162-895X
JO - Political Psychology
JF - Political Psychology
ER -