Dissertation

Factors shaping public attitudes and responses to refugee and immigrant population: examining the interplay of demographics, media, and contextual influences

Abstract

This thesis examines factors shaping public attitudes toward refugee and immigrant populations in Germany focusing on the interplay of demographics, media, and contextual influences, such as historical divisions and the COVID-19 pandemic. Using 
the GDELT database, GSOEP and German official statistics, the first study reveals how media salience amplified the effect of the refugee influx on public attitudes toward immigration during the 2011-2017 refugee crisis, with stronger effects in East German 
states than in other parts of Germany. Using an online vignette survey experiment with participants recruited through the Meta Advertising Manager, the second study suggests that higher male-to-female ratios in non-white refugee groups can increase perceived threats among natives, with gender-specific variations in threat perception. The third study uses data from an online cross-country survey to investigate how disease threat perceptions influenced ethnically targeted avoidance behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings show that the relationship between perceived threats and avoidance behaviors, particularly toward Asian-associated targets, are mediated by trust in information from social media and personal acquaintances. Drawing on both traditional and digital data sources, these studies contribute to our understanding of how media coverage, demographic composition, and global crises shape attitudes and responses to refugee and immigrant populations.