From Rumour to Riot: Assessing the effects of verbal prejudice on desires and perceptions of intergroup contact between Muslims and non-Muslims

ESRC : John Shayegh : ES/P000762/1

Prejudice against Muslims has risen in the U.K. and Canada, threatening harmonious intergroup relations and the wellbeing of Muslims. Some politicians endorse and encourage interactions among people from diverse backgrounds, whereas others discourage this. It is currently unclear what effects this has on the desires of non-Muslims to interact with Muslims. Using Canadian politicians' twitter statements from the 2019 election period, themes related to politicians' statements about Muslims will be explored. Then positive and negative messaging about Muslims from this data will inform experimental manipulations to understand their impact on people's desires for intergroup contact. We will also examine emotion variables such as intergroup anxiety and trust. The findings will inform how politician messaging can impact intergroup relations, and the particular psychological mechanisms that account for these effects.