DATA-SURVEY: Migrant Acceptance Index: A Global Examination of the Relationship Between Interpersonal Contact and Attitudes toward Migrants

Abstract

Using independently sampled Gallup World Poll survey data from 140 countries, we explored the relationship between interpersonal contact and attitudes toward migrants from a perspective not typically found in the social psychological literature. We hypothesized that respondents who report personally knowing a migrant living in their home country would be more accepting of migrants generally (using a three-item Migrant Acceptance Index (MAI) score) than respondents who do not know a migrant. Results supported our hypothesis in 134 of the 140 countries suggesting that the strong relationship between interpersonal contact and attitudes toward migrants is near-universal. We also quantified migrant acceptance at the country level, finding a wide spectrum of attitudes toward migrants. Low acceptance countries were located primarily in Eastern and Southeastern Europe and high acceptance countries were located in Northern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. We discuss these results in the context of interpersonal contact theory (Allport, 1954) and the larger context of global migration.

Virtuous violence from the war room to death row

“…Will contact with others who threaten and offend us reduce the desire to punish them? Cross-national studies of contact with migrants show promise in that regard ( 46 ), as does nonjudgmental interpersonal conversation ( 47 ). Educating children to respect and empathize with others who are different from them may be an effective antidote to hating and punishing those people later in life.…”

Experience in Employing Immigrants and the Perception of Benefits of a Diverse Workforce

“…The Migrant Acceptance Index shows a strong correlation between interpersonal contact with a migrant and the attitudes towards them. Herein, individuals who had previous contact with immigrants have a more positive attitude towards them than do those who did not have such an experience (Fleming et al, 2018).…”

Duties to refugees, the reluctance of governments, and social science: a Christian perspective

“…A wide-ranging survey by Fleming et al, using data from 140 countries, found that in 134 of them such experience improved the perception of immigrants. 17 On the other hand, it is important that the system for receiving migrants should be an orderly one. Feiler has drawn attention to the lamentable consequences of the decision by Chancellor Merkel to open Germany's borders to immigration from the Middle East in 2015, without establishing proper screening and control mechanisms: these consequences included a rise in sexual assault and other violent crime.…”