Other-Regarding Behaviors and Attitudes toward Asylum Seekers

Abstract

Previous studies predominantly examined self-reported attitudes toward economic migrants and refugees along with different types of public concerns. Few of these studies used behavioral measures to analyze how asylum seeker inflows may sway public preferences toward them. However, the literature remains largely silent on the issue as to how correcting misperceptions of asylum seeker inflows may improve a host population’s support for them. The authors’ research addresses this gap, using a lab experiment to examine how providing factual information on asylum seeker inflows changes other-regarding behaviors and attitudes of a host population toward asylum seekers, depending on people’s political leanings. Specifically, the authors examine whether factual information provided by a nonpartisan source may ease or backfire giving behaviors and unwelcoming attitudes toward asylum seekers through the moderation of partisanship. The findings suggest that providing accurate information about the number of asylum seekers counteracts low-level giving behaviors and unwelcoming attitudes of right-wing-leaning citizens.