Consequences of Emphasizing Genetic Commonalities and Differences on Inter-Ethnic Conflict: Implications for Peace and Violence in the Middle East.

Abstract

Researchers have not yet tested the consequences of emphasizing genetic commonalities and differences on negative intergroup attitudes, intergroup aggression and on the implications for peace and violence. Moreover, there is also no work looking at whether emphasizing commonalities and differences, of any kind, impacts intergroup aggression and support for political compromise. To test these theories, I have conducted six complementary empirical studies in my dissertation. First, I explored whether emphasizing genetic commonalities (as opposed to genetic differences) reduces stereotyping (Study 1) and behavioral aggression between Arab-American and Jewish-American college students (Study 2). In Study 1, I also explored if implicit intergroup bias moderates the condition effect on explicit intergroup bias. In the following study, I explored whether emphasizing genetic commonalities (vs. differences and non-intervention) increases Jewish-American support for Israel-Palestine peacemaking (Study 3). With Israeli-Jewish adults, I then explored whether the intervention can increase willingness to make actual political compromises (Study 4) as well as increase willingness to interact with and provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians (Study 5). In Studies 4 and 5, I also explored mediators and moderators of these effects. Finally, using a sample of Jewish-Americans, I examined what specific factors make a genetic commonality intervention effective by comparing it with other emphases on non-genetic commonalities (Study 6). My findings suggest that the genetic commonality-difference dimension impacts intergroup attitudes, intergroup aggression as well as support for peacemaking and political compromises for among Jewish-Americans, Arab-Americans and Israeli-Jews.