Does Cultural Orientation Moderate the Effect of Collective Threat on Collective Self-Esteem?
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Abstract
Collective self-esteem (CSE) represents individuals' evaluation of their group identities. Yet, people can encounter collective threats – negative actions of ingroup members that confirm a negative stereotype - that threaten their group's image. The present research examines how the effect of collective threat on CSE is moderated by an individual's cultural background, specifically whether they hold an individualistic or collectivist orientation. In one study, White and Asian participants were randomly assigned to consider either a threatening or non-threatening scenario that manipulated whether a racial ingroup member confirmed a negative stereotype about participants' racial group. Before and after the scenario, participants completed measures of CSE, trait self-esteem, and positive and negative affect. I hypothesized that collective threat would decrease public CSE among Asian participants, whereas experiencing a collective threat would decrease importance to identity CSE among White participants. The results did not support these hypotheses; no significant interaction emerged between collective threat and participant race on the dependent measures. The results were not further moderated by participants' cultural orientation (i.e., individualism or collectivism) or need to belong. The findings are discussed in terms of collective self-esteem theory and evaluate the effectiveness of the collective threat manipulation.