The role of threats as mediator for the effect of group identification on hatred

Faculty of Psychology, University of Muhammadiyah Malang, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: yuninurhamida@umm.ac.id

Abstract

This study investigates group-based hatred in non-intractable conflict contexts. Unlike intractable conflicts, which are protracted, violent, and central to group identity, non-intractable conflicts are episodic and do not dominate daily life, though historical violence continues to shape intergroup emotions. We argue that group identification does not directly predict hatred in such contexts; rather, it operates indirectly through perceived threats. Two cases in Indonesia were studied: Muslims versus Communists (Study 1) and Muslims versus Christians (Study 2). Study 1 (N = 508) found that both realistic and symbolic threats mediated the effect of Muslim identification on hatred toward the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI). Study 2 (N = 494) showed that only realistic threats mediated Muslim identification and hatred toward Christians. These findings demonstrate that hatred can occur even outside intractable conflict, and the type of perceived threat depends on historical intergroup narratives.