Assessing the relationship between right-wing authoritarianism and attitudes towards immigrants in Malta

Abstract

The topic of immigration is a social issue that has been increasingly discussed in recent years. Immigrants often face prejudice when entering a new country. This study aimed to assess attitudes towards immigrants in relation to RWA and other variables. A quantitative approach was selected. An online survey was distributed, which assessed for demographics, an attitudes towards immigrants scale, contact with immigrants, opposition to immigrant religion and a right-wing authoritarianism scale. A total of 323 responses were collected. Statistical analysis showed that all demographics, contact with immigrants, opposition to immigrants of all religions, level of closeness to Malta and RWA were significantly associated with levels of attitudes towards immigrants. However a stepwise multiple regression found that only gender, contact with immigrants, closeness to country, opposition to Muslims and RWA were accountable for variance in attitudes towards immigrants. These results show further support for the relevancy of contact theory and the integrated theory of prejudice.