Prejudice toward people with cancer or AIDS: Applying the integrated threat model

Two experiments applied the integrated threat theory of prejudice to predicting attitudes toward people with terminal cancer or AIDS. The measures, which were designed to assess the components of the model (realistic threats, symbolic threats, intergroup anxiety, and negative stereotypes), were reliable and generally predictive of attitudes. The theory predicted attitudes toward AIDS better than attitudes toward cancer, perhaps because more people believe that they are likely to become a member of the cancer out-group. The benefits of applying social psychological theory to health issues are discussed along with suggestions for future research.