When do people act on their prejudice? Many contemporary political movements seem to capitalize on prejudiced sentiments. While prejudiced political speech targeted at, e.g., immigrants or other minority groups may increase anti-out-group sentiments, it does not necessarily inspire people to vote, protest, or use violence guided by such views. A prejudiced mind does not necessitate prejudiced behavior. To understand the potential societal consequences of prejudiced political campaigns, uncovering when and under what circumstances people are willing to act on their prejudice is important.
The main aim of the PREACT project is to investigate the link between prejudice and political action. PREACT has a two-fold research design. First, we conduct an extensive systematic literature review to gain an overview of the state of the art and research gaps within the field of prejudice and political action. Second, we take a closer look at anti-immigration sentiments as one potential expression of prejudice. Through survey data, we test the impact of anti-immigration sentiments on political action on the macro and individual levels.
