Intergroup threat perception is a key driver of violent conflict behavior. During conflict, threat narratives can become tools for mobilizing ingroup members, converting biases and prejudice into intolerance and discrimination, justifying violence, and transforming negative attitudes toward the outgroup into intergroup hostility.
Guiding Questions
The RCID Lab’s guiding questions for intergroup threat perception in reconciliation include:
- How do different types of threat perception impact conflict dynamics?
- How is threat produced and transferred through collective memory, official narratives, and leadership?
- How can threat perception be reduced?