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Minority members are often targeted by online hate speech. In this article, we advance the literature by conceptualizing online hate speech as a social identity threat, whose consequences can adversely affect intergroup relations at large. Within two experiments, we examine the effects of homophobic (Study 1, N = 225) and racist (Study 2, N = 194) hate speech on target minority members' attitudes toward the majority group and intentions to avoid it. In addition, we test the potential mitigating role of counter-speech presence and source (minority vs. majority member). Drawing from theoretical accounts of social identity and perceived opinion climate, we also shed light on novel underlying mechanisms that explain the effect of online hate speech on intergroup relations: perceived identity threat (PIT) and perceived negative representation (PNR). Across both studies, more severe hate speech resulted in greater PIT and PNR, which was related to more hostile attitudes toward the majority group and/or intentions to avoid majority members. Counter-speech was largely ineffective in alleviating these negative outcomes. However, Study 2 revealed that counter-speech from a majority member could mitigate PIT, but only for less severe forms of hate speech. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for research in media psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have increasingly identified a growing concern in the lack of attention given to factors intertwined with the mental health and well‐being of Arab‐American youth. To circumvent this problem, we applied a community‐based participatory research (CBPR) design to a sample of Arab‐American youth with the mean age of 13.72 years. We discuss the implications for professional counseling and other mental health interventions with Arab‐American youth, as well as provide directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the development of social identity centrality dimensions (i.e., Muslim, ethnic, and American identity centrality) among Muslim American youth as well as associations between religious discrimination and social identity centrality trajectories. Data were collected once annually from 2015 to 2017 with 220 Muslim American youth (M = 14.20, SD = 0.94) in the Midwest United States (girls = 53.2%; boys = 42.3%; missing = 4.5%). Participants were Arab (62.3%), Somali (15.9%), and African American (8.6%), among other ethnic groups (less than 2%). Latent growth curve models indicated that Muslim and ethnic identity centrality displayed negative trajectories and that American identity centrality increased over time. Surprisingly, religious discrimination was not associated with social identity centrality trajectories. This research suggests that Muslim American youths' minoritized social identities develop similarly, whereas youths' American social identity develops differently than these identities. Public Significance Statement: The research indicates that minoritized youth must navigate the development of their social identities in the context of hostile sociopolitical climates (García Coll et al., 1996; Umaña-Taylor et al., 2014). However, minimal empirical research investigates how Muslim American youth—a group of youth minoritized on the basis of their faith tradition—develop multifaceted social identities in the context of Islamophobia. The current work attends to this research gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study offers new insights into the power of peer networks for shaping intergroup relations in a diverse school. Data were drawn from a longitudinal study of sixth-eighth graders (N = 524; M[subscript ageT1] = 11.87; 48% girls; 9% Asian American/Pacific Islander, 28% African American, 13% Latino, 1% Native American, 31% White, 5% Other, and 11% Multiracial) in the Midwestern United States. Students with more positive intergroup contact attitudes (ICA) were most likely to be friends with similarly minded students. Students with more positive ICA were less likely to select friends of the same race/ethnicity than those with less positive ICA. Finally, students' ICA became more similar to their friends' ICA over time. Results implicate school-level norms and contagion in students' ICA.

What are the underpinnings and ramifications of anti‐Muslim attitudes in the United States? While scholars have emphasized the centrality of race and racial attitudes to American politics, examinations of hostility towards Muslim Americans with context‐specific measures are still lacking despite the increasing relevance of this population in the public imagination. Particularly after the tragic 9/11 attacks, Islamophobia emerged as a pervasive force in American social and political life, entangling race, religion, and nationality to further stigmatize and marginalize Muslims. By more systematically examining the relationship between anti‐Muslim attitudes and public support for a range of initiatives that aim to, or already have, further marginalize(d) American Muslims, the research presented herein aims to underscore the limitations of attitudinal measures that lack context specificity. Through two studies that utilize a nationally representative survey and a longitudinal study of public opinion towards Muslims, we make the case for the development and use of more nuanced measures that capture the distinct nature of hostility towards Muslims as encompassing both perceived realistic and symbolic threats. Additionally, we consider the range of social, psychological, and physical consequences that Islamophobia may exert on Muslim individuals themselves, as well as their interactions with the majority population. These have important implications for scholars studying the sociopolitical behavior of Muslims and policymakers seeking to counteract the adverse effects of Islamophobia in the United States or elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tangram Help/Hurt Task (THHT) allows participants to help another participant win a prize (by assigning them easy tangrams), to hurt another participant by preventing them from winning the prize (by assigning them difficult tangrams), or to do neither (by assigning them medium tangrams) in offline or online studies. Consistent with calls for continued evidence supporting psychological measurement, we conducted a meta-analytic review of the THHT that included 52 independent studies involving 11,060 participants. THHT scores were associated with helping and hurting outcomes in theoretically predicted ways. Results showed that THHT scores were not only associated with short-term (experimental manipulations, state measures) and long-term (trait measures) helping and hurting outcomes, but also with helping and harming intentions. We discuss the strengths and limitations of the THHT relative to other laboratory measures of prosocial behavior and aggression, discuss unanswered questions about the task, and offer suggestions for the best use of the task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited empirical research examining cultivation theory's proposition that first-order estimates influence second-order attitudes. In two studies, we examine how Middle Easterners are portrayed on entertainment television and how these portrayals cultivate stereotypical beliefs and policy support. A content analysis in Study 1 finds that nearly half of Middle Eastern characters on entertainment television are portrayed as supporting terrorism. A survey in Study 2 finds that watching television programs averaging two or more Middle Eastern terrorist characters per episode is associated with individuals' estimations that a higher percentage of Middle Easterners are associated with terrorism in the real world. This first-order cultivation effect was found to be a mediating mechanism between entertainment media exposure and support for restrictive immigration and naturalization policies. We discuss the importance of examining entertainment television representations of racial/ethnic minorities and their implications for attitudes and policy support relevant to the depicted groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are worldwide concerns about the rise of White nationalism and its implications for intergroup relations in multicultural societies. Social media, in particular, has allowed far-right groups to easily share their perspectives with and influence others in support of their ideologies. Yet, few studies have empirically examined what psychological factors are discussed within this content to motivate collective action. A quantitative content analysis of 100 White nationalist videos on YouTube reveals that social outgroups (Muslims, immigrants, feminists) are frequently discussed as threats to Whites' status. Not only were calls for collective action discussed in at least 12% of videos, themes surrounding White identity and injustice faced by Whites were often underlying these calls, consistent with the theoretical propositions of the Social Identity Model of Collective Action. These results are novel as they identify psychological mechanisms referenced in White nationalist social media that motivate collective actions among White Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online hate speech is very common. This is problematic as degrading social groups can traumatize targets, evoke stress, and depression. Since no reaction of others could suggest the acceptability of hate speech, bystander intervention is essential. However, it is unclear when and how minorities react to hate speech. Drawing from social identity theory and research on in-group intervention, we inquire how Islamophobic online hate speech and counter speech by majority or minority members shape Muslims' willingness to intervene. Thus, in an online experiment (N = 362), we varied the presence of Islamophobic online hate speech and counter speech by a (non-) Muslim. Results showed that Islamophobic online hate speech led to a perceived religious identity threat which, in turn, increased the personal responsibility to intervene and resulted in higher intentions to utter factual counter speech. In addition, counter speech by both majority and minority members directly reduced Muslims' intentions to counterargue hatefully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied transfer of learning across two games of strategic interaction. We found that the interpersonal relation between two players during and across two games influence development of reciprocal trust and transfer of learning from one game to another. We show that two types of similarities between the games affect transfer: (1) deep similarities facilitate transfer of an optimal solution across games; (2) surface similarities can either facilitate or hinder transfer depending on whether they lead players toward an optimal or sub-optimal solution in the target game. Learning an optimal solution in a context of interdependence between players is associated with development of reciprocal trust, which in turn mediates transfer of learning across games. The results can be used to inform the design of training exercises to develop strategic interaction skills. (Contains 3 tables and 7 figures.)

Meta-analytic procedures were used to test the effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal, empathy/desensitization, and prosocial behavior. Unique features of this meta-analytic review include (a) more restrictive methodological quality inclusion criteria than in past meta-analyses; (b) cross-cultural comparisons; (c) longitudinal studies for all outcomes except physiological arousal; (d) conservative statistical controls; (e) multiple moderator analyses; and (f) sensitivity analyses. Social-cognitive models and cultural differences between Japan and Western countries were used to generate theory-based predictions. Meta-analyses yielded significant effects for all 6 outcome variables. The pattern of results for different outcomes and research designs (experimental, cross-sectional, longitudinal) fit theoretical predictions well. The evidence strongly suggests that exposure to violent video games is a causal risk factor for increased aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, and aggressive affect and for decreased empathy and prosocial behavior. Moderator analyses revealed significant research design effects, weak evidence of cultural differences in susceptibility and type of measurement effects, and no evidence of sex differences in susceptibility. Results of various sensitivity analyses revealed these effects to be robust, with little evidence of selection (publication) bias. (Contains 12 footnotes, 10 tables, and 1 figure.)

White allies can advance racial justice on social media by amplifying Black activists and educating their White friends. Social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram have different affordances for message amplification, with some showcasing the message creator and others the message amplifier. How might these visibility differences influence the reception of a message created by a Black activist and amplified by a White ally? Two online experiments (N1 = 328, N2 = 328) of White participants found that affordances prioritizing the White message amplifier over the Black message creator led to reduced perceptions of messenger racism when the message was holding White people accountable for the maintenance of racism. However, participants in these conditions also had a harder time identifying that the message creator was indeed a Black activist. These results demonstrate the important nuances of social identity and allyship effects in the context of social media affordances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although dozens of studies have documented a relationship between violent video games and aggressive behaviors, very little attention has been paid to potential effects of prosocial games. Theoretically, games in which game characters help and support each other in nonviolent ways should increase both short-term and long-term prosocial behaviors. We report three studies conducted in three countries with three age groups to test this hypothesis. In the correlational study, Singaporean middle-school students who played more prosocial games behaved more prosocially. In the two longitudinal samples of Japanese children and adolescents, prosocial game play predicted later increases in prosocial behavior. In the experimental study, U.S. undergraduates randomly assigned to play prosocial games behaved more prosocially toward another student. These similar results across different methodologies, ages, and cultures provide robust evidence of a prosocial game content effect, and they provide support for the General Learning Model. Keywords: video games; prosocial behavior; empathy; media violence; General Learning Model

Given the pervasiveness of racist online comments, it is important to determine what factors motivate White audiences to take actions for racial justice. We utilize and expand on the defensive effect, which proposes that uncivil online comments can mobilize action, by focusing on social identities and group-based emotions. By manipulating the race of a person tweeting in support of racial justice protests and the civility of the racist response, we find that uncivil replies lead to increased feelings of group-based anger, which is associated with willingness to respond to the comment online and take political action for racial equality. These findings highlight the mobilizing influence that anger, as opposed to other emotions, can have on White bystanders witnessing racist incivility within social media environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between national and religious identification, Bicultural Identity Integration (BII), and Social Identity Complexity (SIC) among Muslim adolescents in the UK (Study 1, n = 773, M = 17.5 years) and the U.S. (Study 2, n = 190, MW1 = 14.1 years). Using person-oriented approaches, we identified four groups of adolescents. The two largest groups in both national contexts were "religiously-oriented strong dual identifiers" and "equally-strong dual identifiers". The latter experienced less BII distance and more BII conflict, and perceived their identities as more similar and overlapping. These findings highlight that nuanced differences in strong dual identity patterns and trajectories have implications for how strong dual identities are experienced and perceived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]