Exposure to Immigrants Does Not Moderate the Relationship Between Disgust Sensitivity and Opposition to Immigration

Individuals who are more motivated to avoid pathogenic infection tend be opposed immigrants. Explanations for this relation emphasize lack of familiarity, with people unfamiliar ethnic outgroups being likely perceive them as a possible risk and therefore oppose immigration. Exposure immigrants can increase familiarity outgroup members. This suggests that exposure attenuates the relationship between pathogen avoidance motivation opposition We tested prediction in four studies using country-level fractionalization segregation (Study 1) proportion at local neighborhood level (Studies 2–4) indicators Results showed intergroup did not attenuate long-term is insufficient make their customs nonthreatening those strong worries about threats.