Journal of Social and Political Psychology, Mar 23, 2023
Building up on pre-existing vulnerabilities and social exclusions, refugees and migrants are disp... more Building up on pre-existing vulnerabilities and social exclusions, refugees and migrants are disproportionately suffering from the negative effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. Insecure legal status is an additional stressor that may accentuate social cleavages and ultimately impair their trust in host society and institutions. Based on a diverse sample of refugees and migrants in Belgium (N = 355), the present study investigates direct and indirect effects of legal status-measured as the type of residence permit held by participants -on social and political trust during the COVID-19 outbreak. Secured legal status was positively associated with social and political trust directly, and indirectly via a serial mediation composed by two cumulative stages. First, participants with a more secured legal status experienced less material difficulties to cope with the pandemic (i.e., first material stage). Second, participant who experienced less material difficulties identified more with the host society (i.e., second symbolic stage). In turn, reduced material difficulties and increased identification with the host society were both positively associated with social and political trust. Our findings advocate for securing legal status of refugees and migrants to help societies cope cohesively with the long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 outbreak.
DI-fusion, le Dépôt institutionnel numérique de l'ULB, est l'outil de r... more DI-fusion, le Dépôt institutionnel numérique de l'ULB, est l'outil de référencementde la production scientifique de l'ULB.L'interface de recherche DI-fusion permet de consulter les publications des chercheurs de l'ULB et les thèses qui y ont été défendues.
This article investigates how Belgian participants’ implicit temporal trajectories regarding the ... more This article investigates how Belgian participants’ implicit temporal trajectories regarding the history of Belgian colonialism in the Congo vary as a function of their attitudes towards colonialism and thus create different collective memories. We reasoned that, depending on their attitudes towards Belgian colonialism, individuals may draw on different schematic narrative templates to structure their own implicit temporal trajectory of colonial history. Consequently, we predicted that the shape of individual implicit temporal trajectories should vary according to their attitudes. Specifically, we expected that positive attitudes towards colonialism would be associated with implicit temporal trajectories in which the colonial period is seen as more positive than before and after colonialism, creating an inverted U-shaped implicit temporal trajectory, while negative attitudes towards colonialism should be associated with the opposite trend – U-shaped implicit trajectories. We measure...
Although social scientists have examined how political speeches may help forge and/or shape colle... more Although social scientists have examined how political speeches may help forge and/or shape collective memories, they have done so with little to no input from psychologists. We address this deficit, demonstrating how a modified version of a well-established and empirically derived psychological phenomenon—socially shared retrieval-induced forgetting—helps explain the mnemonic consequences associated with political speeches, in this case, the Belgian King’s 2012 summer speech. To this end, we analyzed the responses of 43 French speakers and 49 Dutch speakers. Of these individuals, 35 attended to the speech (16 French speakers; 19 Dutch speakers). Our results suggest that the Belgian King’s speech induced French-speaking Belgians who attended the speech to recall less information related to what the King mentioned in the speech. We found no such deficit for Dutch-speaking Belgians. Rather, the Dutch-speaking Belgians exhibited a trend toward greater recall of related and unrelated in...
To understand recent anti‐refugee protests in Europe, we examined how different levels of inclusi... more To understand recent anti‐refugee protests in Europe, we examined how different levels of inclusiveness of group identities (national, European, and global) are related to intentions to protest among native Europeans. We focused on the mediating role of autochthony (a belief that the first inhabitants of a territory are more entitled) and the moderating role of threat. Survey data from 11 European countries (N = 1,909) showed that national identification was positively associated with autochthony, and therefore, with the intention to protest against refugees. In contrast, global identification was related to lower protest intentions via lower autochthony. These paths were found only among Europeans who perceived refugees as a threat. European identification was not related to the endorsement of autochthony or to collective action. These findings indicate why and when majority members are willing to participate in collective action against refugees, and underscore the importance of g...
Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 2018
In this article we use a social representational perspective on a large sample of European studen... more In this article we use a social representational perspective on a large sample of European students to consider the interplay between pacifist attitudes and representations of World War I (WWI). WWI gave rise to pacifist movements across the globe. Across 10 European countries (N = 1,347 undergraduate students), we invited participants to report the first 5 words that came to their mind when thinking about this event and measured their level of pacifism. Analyses of the reported words revealed the presence of seven lexical classes corresponding to 2 main perspectives on WWI. The first main perspective was characterized by “analytical” representations of the war, with a focus on the places and actors of WWI. The second perspective highlighted negative emotions and appraisals associated with war. Overall, we found that the pacifist attitudes we analyzed were associated with a view of the conflict in terms of negatively valanced words, both at the emotional level and in terms of concrete consequences. Conversely lower pacifist attitudes were linked with an emphasis upon weapons. The present results help fill a gap in the literature on attitudes toward peace and war by evidencing their interplay with the way individuals view war. These findings allow us to establish a connection between mainstream, individual-centered approach to attitudes relying on individual premises and social representation theory. Moreover, in line with historical scholarship, these results suggest that a common interpretational framework underlies a view of the conflict associated with the pacifist wave that emerged 100 years ago and current pacifist attitudes. Finally, the present study is the first large scale psychology study of the social representations of the Great War.
COST Action IS1205 aims at advancing knowledge and promoting networking among historians and soci... more COST Action IS1205 aims at advancing knowledge and promoting networking among historians and social psychologists to analyse the role played by social representations of history in Europe. Social representations of history are central to the identity of groups that may or may not form the majority in any given country. In Europe, these representations are at best diverse, at worst fragmented, among various national and ethnic groups, either in the same country or across the continent. If left unexplored and unexplained, these social (mis)representations can incite adverse emotions, in turn influencing group behaviours and possibly leading to intergroup rivalry. Bridging the two disciplines through representatives from 28 countries, Action IS1205 addresses this issue by coordinating research on the role of: social cognitive processes in shaping lay representations of history; lay representation of history through the concepts of nationhood and identities; social-psychological studies...
Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology
The COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis which called for two crucial modes of social regulation: social... more The COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis which called for two crucial modes of social regulation: social control and social solidarity. In the present pre-registered study, we examine how the perceived non-compliance with health measures relates to attitudes towards these modes of social regulation, as well as to the role played by the perception of disintegrated and disregulated society (anomie). Using data from an online crosssectional survey conducted in Belgium in April 2020 (N = 717), results show that the causal attribution of the crisis to insufficient compliance was differentially associated with support for social control and social solidarity behaviours. Specifically, greater attribution to insufficient compliance was associated with a perceived breakdown in the social fabric (disintegration), which explained stronger support for social control and fewer solidarity-based actions. Perceived disregulation, conversely, was associated with less support for
Several European countries have introduced integration programs that oblige immigrants to adopt t... more Several European countries have introduced integration programs that oblige immigrants to adopt the host culture. While research has shown that members of national majority groups consider host culture adoption by immigrants as desirable, the effect of making host culture adoption mandatory on attitudes toward immigrants has so far not been investigated. We argue that perceiving host culture adoption as mandatory yields less positive evaluation of immigrants than voluntary adoption. Moreover, we contend that this effect is explained by a lower perception of identification with the host nation by immigrants in the former case than in the latter. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a first study in France (N = 63) and a second preregistered study in Switzerland (N = 110). In both studies, participants received information about an immigrant who adopted the host culture either voluntarily or as part of a mandatory integration program. As expected, granting civic rights to the immigrant is perceived as more legitimate in the voluntary adoption condition than in the mandatory adoption condition, and this effect was mediated by perception of host nation identification. These results highlight the role of the situational context of acculturation practices in social judgments about immigrants. Implications for mandatory integration policies are discussed.
Many European countries have introduced integration programs that oblige immigrants to adopt the ... more Many European countries have introduced integration programs that oblige immigrants to adopt the host culture. Indeed, research has shown that members of national majority groups consider host culture adoption by immigrants as desirable. However, so far, the effect of making host culture adoption mandatory on attitudes towards immigrants has not been investigated. We argue that mandatory adoption yields less positively evaluations than spontaneous adoption. Moreover, we contend that this effect is explained by a lower perception of identification with the host nation by immigrants. Participants received information about an immigrant who either adopted the host culture voluntarily or by obligation. As expected, he was perceived more positively in the voluntary condition, and this effect was fully mediated by perception of national identification. These results highlight the importance of inferred motivations underlying cultural adoption in social judgments about immigrants. Implications for mandatory integration programs are discussed.
We tested the internal reliability and predictive validity of a new 4-item Short Social Dominance... more We tested the internal reliability and predictive validity of a new 4-item Short Social Dominance Orientation (SSDO) scale among adults in 20 countries, using 15 languages (N 1⁄4 2,130). Low scores indicate preferring group inclusion and equality to dominance. As expected, cross-nationally, the lower people were on SSDO, the more they endorsed more women in leadership positions, protecting minorities, and aid to the poor. Multilevel moderation models showed that each effect was stronger in nations where a relevant kind of group power differentiation was more salient. Distributions of SSDO were positively skewed, despite use of an extended response scale; results show rejecting group hierarchy is normative. The short scale is effective. Challenges regarding translations, use of short scales, and intersections between individual and collective levels in social dominance theory are discussed.
Journal of Social and Political Psychology, Mar 23, 2023
Building up on pre-existing vulnerabilities and social exclusions, refugees and migrants are disp... more Building up on pre-existing vulnerabilities and social exclusions, refugees and migrants are disproportionately suffering from the negative effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. Insecure legal status is an additional stressor that may accentuate social cleavages and ultimately impair their trust in host society and institutions. Based on a diverse sample of refugees and migrants in Belgium (N = 355), the present study investigates direct and indirect effects of legal status-measured as the type of residence permit held by participants -on social and political trust during the COVID-19 outbreak. Secured legal status was positively associated with social and political trust directly, and indirectly via a serial mediation composed by two cumulative stages. First, participants with a more secured legal status experienced less material difficulties to cope with the pandemic (i.e., first material stage). Second, participant who experienced less material difficulties identified more with the host society (i.e., second symbolic stage). In turn, reduced material difficulties and increased identification with the host society were both positively associated with social and political trust. Our findings advocate for securing legal status of refugees and migrants to help societies cope cohesively with the long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 outbreak.
DI-fusion, le Dépôt institutionnel numérique de l'ULB, est l'outil de r... more DI-fusion, le Dépôt institutionnel numérique de l'ULB, est l'outil de référencementde la production scientifique de l'ULB.L'interface de recherche DI-fusion permet de consulter les publications des chercheurs de l'ULB et les thèses qui y ont été défendues.
This article investigates how Belgian participants’ implicit temporal trajectories regarding the ... more This article investigates how Belgian participants’ implicit temporal trajectories regarding the history of Belgian colonialism in the Congo vary as a function of their attitudes towards colonialism and thus create different collective memories. We reasoned that, depending on their attitudes towards Belgian colonialism, individuals may draw on different schematic narrative templates to structure their own implicit temporal trajectory of colonial history. Consequently, we predicted that the shape of individual implicit temporal trajectories should vary according to their attitudes. Specifically, we expected that positive attitudes towards colonialism would be associated with implicit temporal trajectories in which the colonial period is seen as more positive than before and after colonialism, creating an inverted U-shaped implicit temporal trajectory, while negative attitudes towards colonialism should be associated with the opposite trend – U-shaped implicit trajectories. We measure...
Although social scientists have examined how political speeches may help forge and/or shape colle... more Although social scientists have examined how political speeches may help forge and/or shape collective memories, they have done so with little to no input from psychologists. We address this deficit, demonstrating how a modified version of a well-established and empirically derived psychological phenomenon—socially shared retrieval-induced forgetting—helps explain the mnemonic consequences associated with political speeches, in this case, the Belgian King’s 2012 summer speech. To this end, we analyzed the responses of 43 French speakers and 49 Dutch speakers. Of these individuals, 35 attended to the speech (16 French speakers; 19 Dutch speakers). Our results suggest that the Belgian King’s speech induced French-speaking Belgians who attended the speech to recall less information related to what the King mentioned in the speech. We found no such deficit for Dutch-speaking Belgians. Rather, the Dutch-speaking Belgians exhibited a trend toward greater recall of related and unrelated in...
To understand recent anti‐refugee protests in Europe, we examined how different levels of inclusi... more To understand recent anti‐refugee protests in Europe, we examined how different levels of inclusiveness of group identities (national, European, and global) are related to intentions to protest among native Europeans. We focused on the mediating role of autochthony (a belief that the first inhabitants of a territory are more entitled) and the moderating role of threat. Survey data from 11 European countries (N = 1,909) showed that national identification was positively associated with autochthony, and therefore, with the intention to protest against refugees. In contrast, global identification was related to lower protest intentions via lower autochthony. These paths were found only among Europeans who perceived refugees as a threat. European identification was not related to the endorsement of autochthony or to collective action. These findings indicate why and when majority members are willing to participate in collective action against refugees, and underscore the importance of g...
Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 2018
In this article we use a social representational perspective on a large sample of European studen... more In this article we use a social representational perspective on a large sample of European students to consider the interplay between pacifist attitudes and representations of World War I (WWI). WWI gave rise to pacifist movements across the globe. Across 10 European countries (N = 1,347 undergraduate students), we invited participants to report the first 5 words that came to their mind when thinking about this event and measured their level of pacifism. Analyses of the reported words revealed the presence of seven lexical classes corresponding to 2 main perspectives on WWI. The first main perspective was characterized by “analytical” representations of the war, with a focus on the places and actors of WWI. The second perspective highlighted negative emotions and appraisals associated with war. Overall, we found that the pacifist attitudes we analyzed were associated with a view of the conflict in terms of negatively valanced words, both at the emotional level and in terms of concrete consequences. Conversely lower pacifist attitudes were linked with an emphasis upon weapons. The present results help fill a gap in the literature on attitudes toward peace and war by evidencing their interplay with the way individuals view war. These findings allow us to establish a connection between mainstream, individual-centered approach to attitudes relying on individual premises and social representation theory. Moreover, in line with historical scholarship, these results suggest that a common interpretational framework underlies a view of the conflict associated with the pacifist wave that emerged 100 years ago and current pacifist attitudes. Finally, the present study is the first large scale psychology study of the social representations of the Great War.
COST Action IS1205 aims at advancing knowledge and promoting networking among historians and soci... more COST Action IS1205 aims at advancing knowledge and promoting networking among historians and social psychologists to analyse the role played by social representations of history in Europe. Social representations of history are central to the identity of groups that may or may not form the majority in any given country. In Europe, these representations are at best diverse, at worst fragmented, among various national and ethnic groups, either in the same country or across the continent. If left unexplored and unexplained, these social (mis)representations can incite adverse emotions, in turn influencing group behaviours and possibly leading to intergroup rivalry. Bridging the two disciplines through representatives from 28 countries, Action IS1205 addresses this issue by coordinating research on the role of: social cognitive processes in shaping lay representations of history; lay representation of history through the concepts of nationhood and identities; social-psychological studies...
Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology
The COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis which called for two crucial modes of social regulation: social... more The COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis which called for two crucial modes of social regulation: social control and social solidarity. In the present pre-registered study, we examine how the perceived non-compliance with health measures relates to attitudes towards these modes of social regulation, as well as to the role played by the perception of disintegrated and disregulated society (anomie). Using data from an online crosssectional survey conducted in Belgium in April 2020 (N = 717), results show that the causal attribution of the crisis to insufficient compliance was differentially associated with support for social control and social solidarity behaviours. Specifically, greater attribution to insufficient compliance was associated with a perceived breakdown in the social fabric (disintegration), which explained stronger support for social control and fewer solidarity-based actions. Perceived disregulation, conversely, was associated with less support for
Several European countries have introduced integration programs that oblige immigrants to adopt t... more Several European countries have introduced integration programs that oblige immigrants to adopt the host culture. While research has shown that members of national majority groups consider host culture adoption by immigrants as desirable, the effect of making host culture adoption mandatory on attitudes toward immigrants has so far not been investigated. We argue that perceiving host culture adoption as mandatory yields less positive evaluation of immigrants than voluntary adoption. Moreover, we contend that this effect is explained by a lower perception of identification with the host nation by immigrants in the former case than in the latter. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a first study in France (N = 63) and a second preregistered study in Switzerland (N = 110). In both studies, participants received information about an immigrant who adopted the host culture either voluntarily or as part of a mandatory integration program. As expected, granting civic rights to the immigrant is perceived as more legitimate in the voluntary adoption condition than in the mandatory adoption condition, and this effect was mediated by perception of host nation identification. These results highlight the role of the situational context of acculturation practices in social judgments about immigrants. Implications for mandatory integration policies are discussed.
Many European countries have introduced integration programs that oblige immigrants to adopt the ... more Many European countries have introduced integration programs that oblige immigrants to adopt the host culture. Indeed, research has shown that members of national majority groups consider host culture adoption by immigrants as desirable. However, so far, the effect of making host culture adoption mandatory on attitudes towards immigrants has not been investigated. We argue that mandatory adoption yields less positively evaluations than spontaneous adoption. Moreover, we contend that this effect is explained by a lower perception of identification with the host nation by immigrants. Participants received information about an immigrant who either adopted the host culture voluntarily or by obligation. As expected, he was perceived more positively in the voluntary condition, and this effect was fully mediated by perception of national identification. These results highlight the importance of inferred motivations underlying cultural adoption in social judgments about immigrants. Implications for mandatory integration programs are discussed.
We tested the internal reliability and predictive validity of a new 4-item Short Social Dominance... more We tested the internal reliability and predictive validity of a new 4-item Short Social Dominance Orientation (SSDO) scale among adults in 20 countries, using 15 languages (N 1⁄4 2,130). Low scores indicate preferring group inclusion and equality to dominance. As expected, cross-nationally, the lower people were on SSDO, the more they endorsed more women in leadership positions, protecting minorities, and aid to the poor. Multilevel moderation models showed that each effect was stronger in nations where a relevant kind of group power differentiation was more salient. Distributions of SSDO were positively skewed, despite use of an extended response scale; results show rejecting group hierarchy is normative. The short scale is effective. Challenges regarding translations, use of short scales, and intersections between individual and collective levels in social dominance theory are discussed.
- To create interdisciplinary dialogue between participants from different fields (particularly between social psychologists and historians) and national contexts,
- To disseminate research findings on core themes of interest: the interplay between social representations of history or collective memories, social identities, and intergroup relations
- To generate knowledge and discussions between academics and stakeholders on relevant research findings regarding national histories, political mobilization, psychological resistance, coping mechanisms, and the transmission of collective memories.
Invited keynote speakers are internationally renowned experts:
Prof. Dr. Nyla Branscombe, Pioneer in social psychological approaches to history based collective emotions, Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, USA
Prof. Dr. Maria Grever, Director of the Center for Historical Culture, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Dr. Brigitte Sion, Performance Studies and Memorial Practices, and Associate researcher at the Switzerland Global Studies Institute, University of Geneva.
Submissions are invited for oral or poster presentations
Deadline for the submission of abstracts: 20 March 2016-03-02
Groups that perceive themselves as victims can engage in “competitive victimhood”. We propose tha... more Groups that perceive themselves as victims can engage in “competitive victimhood”. We propose that, in some societal circumstances, this competition bears on the recognition of past sufferings – rather than on their relative severity –, fostering negative intergroup attitudes. Three studies are presented. Study 1, a survey among Sub-Saharan African immigrants in Belgium (N=127), showed that a sense of collective victimhood was associated with more secondary anti-Semitism. This effect was mediated by a sense of lack of victimhood recognition, then by the belief that this lack of recognition was due to that of Jews’ victimhood, but not by competition over the severity of the sufferings. Study 2 replicated this mediation model among Muslim immigrants (N=125). Study 3 experimentally demonstrated the negative effect of the unequal recognition of groups’ victimhood on intergroup attitudes in a fictional situation involving psychology students (N=183). Overall, these studies provide evidence that struggle for victimhood recognition can foster intergroup conflict.
Many European countries have introduced integration programs that oblige immigrants to adopt the ... more Many European countries have introduced integration programs that oblige immigrants to adopt the host culture. Indeed, research has shown that members of national majority groups consider host culture adoption by immigrants as desirable. However, so far, the effect of making host culture adoption mandatory on attitudes towards immigrants has not been investigated. We argue that mandatory adoption yields less positively evaluations than spontaneous adoption. Moreover, we contend that this effect is explained by a lower perception of identification with the host nation by immigrants. Participants received information about an immigrant who either adopted the host culture voluntarily or by obligation. As expected, he was perceived more positively in the voluntary condition, and this effect was fully mediated by perception of national identification. These results highlight the importance of inferred motivations underlying cultural adoption in social judgments about immigrants. Implications for mandatory integration programs are discussed.
Au-delà des problématiques liées à l'accueil des demandeurs d'asile, l'intégration de ces populat... more Au-delà des problématiques liées à l'accueil des demandeurs d'asile, l'intégration de ces populations apparait comme le prochain défi posé aux sociétés européennes. Or, aucune recherche empirique ne s'est penchée sur les perspectives d'intégration envisagées par ces demandeurs d'asile. Au regard de ce manque et de l'urgence sociale, nous avons mené une enquête par questionnaire entre octobre et décembre 2015 auprès de 103 demandeurs d'asile syriens et irakiens afin de mettre en évidence leurs préférences acculturatives ainsi que les facteurs influençant ces attitudes. Suivant les cadres théoriques de Berry (1980) et de Bourhis, Moïse, Perreault et Senécal (1997), nous nous sommes intéressés à leurs attitudes concernant le maintien de leur culture d'origine, la participation à la société d'accueil et l'adoption de la culture d'accueil. Dans l'analyse des facteurs pouvant influencer ces préférences, nous nous attendions à ce que leur perception des attentes du pays d'accueil influence leur choix acculturatif dans la mesure où le futur de ces demandeurs d'asile est suspendu à l'obtention du statut de réfugié délivré par la société d'accueil. De plus, étant donné la nature forcée de leur migration, nous nous sommes intéressés à l'influence de leur volonté de s'implanter durablement au sein du pays d'accueil comme prédicteur des préférences acculturatives. Les résultats ont tout d'abord montré une intention de maintenir leur culture d'origine, d'adopter la culture et de participer à la société d'accueil. Ensuite, à travers des analyses de régressions multiples, nous avons pu corroborer nos hypothèses suggérant un rôle singulier des intentions migratoires et des perceptions des attentes du pays d'accueil. Plus ceux-ci percevaient des attentes de maintien ou d'adoption culturelle, plus ils étaient enclins à vouloir respectivement maintenir ou adopter. Les résultats soulignent également une relation positive entre le désir de s'installer durablement et la volonté tant de participer à la société que d'adopter la culture d'accueil. Du point de vue méthodologique, cette étude a fait l'objet de nombreuses précautions afin de minimiser l'effet de la désirabilité sociale (p. ex. les questionnaires ont été distribués par des personnes d'origine syrienne ou irakienne). Finalement, les implications de l'étude sur les politiques d'intégration et notamment sur l'implantation de parcours d'intégration contraignant l'acculturation des demandeurs d'asile sont discutées. Pour voir les slides de la présentation :
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Papers by Laurent Licata
This conference has 3 main objectives:
- To create interdisciplinary dialogue between participants from different fields (particularly between social psychologists and historians) and national contexts,
- To disseminate research findings on core themes of interest: the interplay between social representations of history or collective memories, social identities, and intergroup relations
- To generate knowledge and discussions between academics and stakeholders on relevant research findings regarding national histories, political mobilization, psychological resistance, coping mechanisms, and the transmission of collective memories.
Invited keynote speakers are internationally renowned experts:
Prof. Dr. Nyla Branscombe, Pioneer in social psychological approaches to history based collective emotions, Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, USA
Prof. Dr. Maria Grever, Director of the Center for Historical Culture, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Dr. Brigitte Sion, Performance Studies and Memorial Practices, and Associate researcher at the Switzerland Global Studies Institute, University of Geneva.
Submissions are invited for oral or poster presentations
Deadline for the submission of abstracts: 20 March 2016-03-02
Deadline for registration: 25 May 2016