| Abstract: | The study assessed intergroup acceptance and perception of native Israeli and Russian immigrant students. Fifth- (n = 1,438) and eighth- (n = 851) grade Israeli and Russian students from integrated classes completed a battery of questionnaires, including social acceptance, self-esteem, and an intergroup perception scale which assessed the traits ascribed to the typical Israeli and the typical Russian. A symmetrical pattern of intergroup relations was obtained with each group reporting a higher social acceptance for ingroup-than for outgroup members. In addition, higher self-esteem Israelis revealed a greater outgroup acceptance, whereas higher self-esteem Russians revealed a greater ingroup acceptance. Pertaining to intergroup perception, students of both origins ascribed higher sociability to the typical Israeli than to the typical Russian and better manners to the typical Russian than to the typical Israeli. Members of each group attributed higher scholastic ability to the typical figure of their ingroup vs. their outgroup. Present findings were compared with research addressing immigrants from Middle-Eastern and Western origins. These were discussed in the framework of Taylor and McKirnan's (1984) five-stage model of intergroup relations. |
