Integrated threat theory, also known as intergroup threat theory, is a theory in psychology and sociology that describes the components of perceived threat that lead to prejudice between social groups. It applies to any social group that may feel threatened, whether that group holds a majority or minority position in its society, and it concerns itself with perceived rather than actual threat, meaning the full set of threats a group's members believe they face regardless of whether those threats are real. The theory's own example is economic threat, where people may feel an outgroup is taking their jobs even when the outgroup has no real effect on their job prospects, yet that perception alone can still raise their level of prejudice against the outgroup, so that even a false alarm about threat carries real consequences for intergroup prejudice.
Facts
Core Claimdescribes the components of perceived threat that lead to prejudice between social groups 1 Connections
Associated With
Walter and Cookie Stephan's integrated threat theory explicitly incorporates realistic threat, drawn from Muzafer Sherif's realistic conflict theory, as one of its named component threat types alongside symbolic threat.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Integrated threat theory
Introduction
attempts to describe the components of perceived threat that lead to prejudice between social groups
Original components of the theory
first proposed by Walter G. Stephan and Cookie White Stephan (2000)
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