Laboratory

Migration and Mobility

At a Glance Projects Publications Team

Project

Factors Shaping Public Attitudes and Responses to Refugee and Immigrant Populations: Examining the Interplay of Demographics, Media, and Contextual Influences (Dissertation)

Robert Gordon Rinderknecht, Chia-Jung Tsai, Asli Ebru Sanlitürk, Emilio Zagheni, John Palmer (Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain)

Detailed Description

For decades, Europe has been experiencing large-scale immigration. It has been debated whether, how, and to what extent the anti-immigrant sentiments of native residents are triggered by immigration in contemporary European society and Western contexts. It appears that the inflow and settlement of immigrants over the last decade in Europe have triggered hostility toward different races and affected the lives of settled immigrants. This project therefore asks how the influx of outgroups and major global events affect public attitudes and behaviors toward outgroups. Drawing on both digital and traditional data sources and aiming to deepen our theoretical understanding of the impact of migration and integration processes on native responses, this thesis examines how various factors shape public attitudes and responses to refugee and immigrant populations in Germany and Europe. Specifically, it investigates the interplay of the influx of outgroups, the influence of media and information sources, the demographic composition of the outgroup population, and public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

This project contributes to three key interrelated topics within international migration research: (1) the moderating role of media in regional variations in public attitudes toward immigration, (2) the public perceptions of sex ratio differences in outgroups, and (3) the mechanisms of the rise in discrimination toward outgroups and immigrants during public health crises.

The first study investigates how media salience (i.e., the number of news articles on refugee topics) moderates changes in public attitudes toward refugee arrivals in Germany. Findings indicate that this moderating effect is particularly potent in East Germany and specific Western states. Building on this evidence, the second study examines how demographic characteristics – specifically sex ratios – affect public acceptance. Using a vignette survey experiment with participants recruited via Meta Ads, this study demonstrates that nonacceptance increases as the male-to-female ratio of refugee groups rises. Gender differences in responses reveal that while female respondents are more accepting of refugee groups with fewer males, they perceive cultural threats from nonwhite male refugees, whereas male respondents primarily view this group as a threat to their job security. Finally, shifting to a global health context, the third study assesses the link between perceived COVID-19 threats and discriminatory consumer behavior. Data from the MPIDR-run Covid-19 Health Behavior Survey, which recruited respondents via Meta Ads in the US and Europe during the pandemic, reveal that perceived COVID-19 threats fueled broad avoidance behaviors, especially toward Asian immigrants. Specifically, the study finds that trust in social media and personal networks, rather than in traditional media, serves as the primary driver of this ethnic-based avoidance.

This project advances migration studies by identifying how media salience, outgroup sex ratios, and global health crises interact to shape public attitudes and behaviors. Theoretically, it expands frameworks in intergroup relations by uncovering the regional amplification of media effects in Germany, the specific gendered threat perceptions driven by refugee demographics, and the specific mechanisms connecting perceived pandemic threats with outgroup avoidance behaviors. Methodologically, this project integrates novel digital data sources with survey data and applies Meta Ads to facilitate precise experimental targeting and cross-country data collection.

Publications

Tsai, C.-J.:

Self-protection or “othering” discrimination? How information sources link perceived threats and avoidance behaviors toward immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic

MPIDR Working Paper WP-2026-003. (2026)    

Tsai, C.-J.; Rinderknecht, R. G.; Zagheni, E.:

The interplay between refugee inflows and media coverage in determining attitudes towards immigration in Germany

MPIDR Working Paper WP-2023-035. (2023)