Blaming immigrants seems to be in part motivated by the need for control. However, three alternative explanations have been proposed as to why blaming bolsters feelings of control. First, blaming may restore a sense of an orderly world in which negative events can be attributed to a clear cause (causal attribution). Second, blaming others may strengthen in-group identities thereby facilitating group-based control (in-group identification). Finally, blaming low-status groups may enhance individuals' perceptions of dominance and superior status (hierarchy enhancement). Addressing these arguments, we conducted two survey experiments in the German context. In the first experiment, we examined the control-bolstering functions of causal attribution and in-group identification. Participants were primed with an economic crisis threat and then, given the opportunity to either blame out-groups (immigrants and managers), blame an abstract cause (globalization), or affirm their national identity. In the second experiment, we examine control enhancement in the context of political conflict and status hierarchies. Participants had the opportunity to either express prejudice toward low-status out-groups (immigrants and obese people) or indicate their opinion on the polarized issue of representation of the far-right. Both studies replicate earlier findings showing that anti-immigrant blaming and prejudice enhances the feelings of control. Neither mere causal attribution nor mere in-group identity salience produce similar control-bolstering effects. Instead, findings suggest that intergroup conflict and status differences benefit control the enhancement processes supporting accounts of both group-based control and social dominance. Findings are discussed with respect to social cohesion and the appeal of populist frames promoting antagonistic, unequal intergroup relations.

中文翻译：

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责备移民以增强控制力：探索因果归因，群体内识别和等级增强的控制支持功能

谴责移民似乎部分是出于对控制的需求。但是，对于为什么责备会增强控制感，已经提出了三种替代性解释。首先，责备可能会恢复一种有序世界的感觉，在这种世界中，负面事件可以归因于明确的原因（因果归因）。其次，指责他人可能会增强小组内的认同感，从而促进基于小组的控制（小组内识别）。最后，指责地位低下的群体可能会增强个人对主导地位和优越地位的感知（层次结构增强）。针对这些论点，我们在德国进行了两次调查实验。在第一个实验中，我们检查了因果归因和组内识别的控制支持功能。参与者受到了经济危机的威胁，然后，有机会指责群体（移民和管理者），指责抽象原因（全球化）或确认其民族身份。在第二个实验中，我们研究了在政治冲突和地位等级制度下的控制增强。与会者有机会对偏低地位的群体（移民和肥胖者）表示偏见，或对极右翼代表制的两极化问题表达意见。两项研究都重复了先前的发现，表明反移民的指责和偏见增强了控制感。无论是因果归因还是群体内同一性显着性都不会产生类似的控制支持效果。反而，研究结果表明，群体间的冲突和地位差异有利于控制增强过程，从而支持基于群体的控制和社会支配地位。讨论了有关社会凝聚力和民粹主义框架促进敌对的，不平等的群体间关系的吸引力的发现。