The Association between Perceived and Actual Xenophobia (APAX)

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Merlin Schaeffer
• Subject Area: Empirical Social Research
• Term: from 2019 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 428878477

This project sets out to empirically uncover and clarify the obscure interlinkage of actual and perceived xenophobia/discrimination by means of online trust games with non-hypothetical vignettes. Among the prominent puzzles of perceived xenophobia range re-appearing findings that better-integrated persons of immigrant origin tend to feel particularly discriminated and rejected; but are they? One explanation, among others, is that their acculturation allows them to fully grasp the true extent of discrimination they face. To properly investigate these claims and questions, we need micro data about the (in-)accuracy of a) individuals’ perceptions of xenophobia and discrimination compared against b) their actual rejection and discrimination by native majority members. This project aims to collect such data for the first time, by conducting online trust games with non-hypothetical vignettes among 2,000 native German and persons of immigrant origin in (West-)Germany’s five largest cities. The advantage of the trust game is that it revolves around two players’ mutual evaluation. It thereby allows us to observe (on a continuous scale) how much the participants are actually (mis-)trusted and whether they perceive to be (mis-)trusted. Only such exceptional data will allow us to inquire into the empirical interlinkage of actual and perceived xenophobia and thereby test long standing arguments and delve deeper into this little understood but crucial aspect of ethnic boundary making.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants