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Original Article

Need for Closure, Morality, and Prejudice

The Relationship Between the Need for Closure, Stereotyped In-Group and Out-Group Morality, and Prejudice Toward the Out-Group

Published Online:December 16, 2021https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000462

Abstract

Abstract. Several studies demonstrated that a high need for closure (NFC) is associated with higher prejudice toward the out-group. This study aims to investigate how this effect can be moderated by attributions of morality to the in-group and the out-group. A questionnaire was administered to 725 participants. The results showed a positive relationship between NFC and prejudice when the in-group was evaluated as more moral than the out-group. This relationship was weaker when the out-group was evaluated as more moral than the in-group. These findings implicated that it is possible to reduce prejudice in individuals with high NFC by manipulating perceptions of in-group and out-group morality.

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