Abstract

The current research investigated the role of material, sychological, and cultural identity factors affecting attitudes and discrimination toward immigrants in right- and left-wingers. Four-hundred-and-eighty-seven participants (139 right-wingers and 132 left-wingers) took part in the study. Results showed that right-wingers' discrimination toward immigrants was uniquely predicted by psychological factors. Conversely, for left-wingers, material and cul- tural identity factors mediated the effect of psychological factors on discrimination toward immigrants. Moreover, results showed that Moroccans and Albanians (numerically high, low-status groups in Italy) are perceived more negatively than Bangladeshis (numerically low, low-status group in Italy). Finally, the joint use of an Implicit Association Test and a questionnaire enabled us to analyze the relations between measures assessing different aspects of the same attitudes.