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Outgroup Prejudice From An Evolutionary Perspective: Survey Evidence From Europe, Serdar Kaya Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

This study investigates the root causes of outgroup prejudice. The literature explains prejudice primarily as a result of the perception of threat or the lack of optimal intergroup contact. The literature also emphasizes that individuals who are prejudiced against one outgroup are more likely to be prejudiced against other outgroups as well. This study does not react to these established theories. Instead, it argues from an evolutionary social psychological perspective that the root cause of outgroup prejudice is an activated sense of distrust and caution. In ancestral environments, higher levels of distrust and caution helped humans better protect themselves and …