Fractures from the inside out: The antagonistic impacts of economic inequality on attitudes towards foreign entities

Abstract

Extensive research has documented that domestic economic inequality erodes social bonds and cohesion within nations. Yet, it remains unclear whether this inequality‐driven fragmentation spills over to shape individuals' attitudes towards foreign entities. Drawing on a social identity perspective, we proposed two asymmetrically opposing pathways: domestic economic inequality primarily impairs attitudes towards foreign entities by weakening identification with all humanity (IWAH), while attenuated national identification provides a modest buffer. Analyses of a nationally representative survey ( N  = 9881) supported this dual‐pathway model, revealing opposing indirect effects of perceived economic inequality on attitudes towards foreigners via national identification and IWAH. Two subsequent experiments (Σ N  = 1761) using measurement‐of‐mediation and experimental‐mediation designs established the model's causal validity and extended the findings to behavioural tendencies and foreign policy preferences. A final study ( N  = 560) explored the model's predictive power for cooperation in both gain‐ and loss‐framed international settings. Collectively, economic inequality not only erodes intra‐societal cohesion but also deepens inter‐societal rifts, providing key insights into the psychological underpinnings of growing anti‐globalization sentiments and unilateralist practices.