Investigating interculturality in Germany by means of social identity, social distance, personality and xenophobia

ABSTRACT Due to the increasing need to understand integration processes and existing impediments, the present study investigated interculturality in Germany with N = 171Germans and Migrants in terms of social identity, personality, social distance as well as xenophobia and their relationship amongst each other. Results confirmed that openness and flexibility predict outgroup orientation for the total sample and the German subsample. However, this was not true for the subsample of migrants. Furthermore, within the German subsample, outgroup orientation had a decreasing influence on hostility towards foreigners and refugees, whereas national identity had an enhancing influence on xenophobia. Moreover, within the subsample of migrants, a decreasing influence of outgroup orientation on xenophobia was only confirmed towards foreigners. It was also shown that xenophobia has an enhancing influence on social distance within the total sample and the German subsample. For the subsample of migrants, this was not the case. Overall, the present study reveals the importance of personality traits regarding the success of migration in Germany through individual predispositions against foreigners that influence the process of integration. The results can be used to derive measures to support the integration, e.g., in the form of intercultural trainings.