ABSTRACT
The model of the role of threats in intergroup relations that people are proposing argues that there are four domains of antecedents of threat: relations between the groups, individual difference variables, cultural dimensions, and situational factors. Stereotypes serve a variety of functions in intergroup relations. They simplify a complex social world, provide guidelines for social interactions, furnish explanations for the behavior of outgroups, and are used to justify the superiority of the ingroup and enhance self-esteem. The integrated threat theory has now been examined using a fairly wide range of target groups. In general, these studies provide strong support for the model. After this proposed reconceptualization has been adequately tested, the role of threats in intergroup relations will need to be placed in the context of other theoretical approaches to intergroup relations. It is clear that perceptions of threat are only one of a multitude of factors that have a negative impact on intergroup relations.
