Threat, Kinds and Effects of

Threat, a central concept in theories of ethnocentric behavior and intergroup conflict, is probably one of the most important factors underlying intergroup hostility or war. Threat can be most broadly defined as the anticipation of negative consequences or loss, either for oneself or one's group, and can involve challenges to power and status, well-being and security, beliefs and values, or self-esteem. Threats can originate from an outgroup or from within an ingroup, as well as from more abstract factors in the environment such as economic insecurity or climate change. Psychological analyses of the role of threat emphasize the subjective nature of threat rather than objective threatening conditions. Thus, it is perceived rather than actual threat that affects how people think, feel, and behave. In the context of intergroup relations, experiences of threat often result in negative perceptions of and attitudes toward outgroups, as well as avoidant or confrontational behavioral tendencies. Social psychological research has demonstrated that both threats directed at an ingroup as a whole as well as threats directed at the individual can be consequential for intergroup relations.