A new psychological model provides evidence that the belief that Jews hold disproportionate social power fuels anti-Semitism across both ends of the political and ideological spectrum. The findings of this study indicate that tailored educational and social interventions may be needed to address prejudice, depending on a person’s underlying worldview. The study was published in the journal american psychologist.
Antisemitism includes prejudice, discrimination, and hostility toward Jews. Researchers point out that this particular form of bias causes two contradictions in the social sciences. First, people generally tend to respect or respect individuals they consider powerful. But when bigots perceive Jews as powerful, they react with hostility and suspicion rather than respect.
Second, anti-Semitism surfaces among people with completely opposing ideological beliefs. This is seen in individuals who strongly support social hierarchies. This means that they believe that certain groups should naturally dominate other groups in society. It also appears among people who strongly oppose the hierarchical structure of society and actively advocate for an equal society without class divisions.
“I’m Jewish and I study hierarchies, but I’ve never been particularly interested in anti-Semitism as a research topic,” said Brit Hader, assistant professor at Reichmann University. “I knew it was real, I knew it would persist, I knew it would be difficult to mitigate, but I mainly kept it out of the focus of my work.”
Hadar explained that in recent years the topic has become harder to ignore. The specific idea for this study emerged after she listened to an interview with historian Christopher Clarke. “His point really stuck with me: Anti-Semitism often intensifies when Jews are highly assimilated, integrated into society, and occupy positions of visible influence and power,” Hadar said.
“So I thought there might be something psychological to this process,” she continued. “Perhaps anti-Semitism is tied to the perception of Jewish power, and perhaps that perceived power threatens people in different ways, depending on how they think about hierarchy. That idea was the basis for this paper.”
To explain these contradictions, scientists have developed a dual-threat model of anti-Semitism. This model suggests that a central factor in modern anti-Semitic attitudes is the perception that Jews have disproportionate power and control over important social resources. This perceived power poses different psychological threats, depending on the individual’s political or social worldview.
For proponents of social hierarchy, the perception of Jewish power threatens their group’s dominance. These people want their social group to be at the top of the social ladder. Believing that minority groups have significant influence creates challenges that make intergroup relations desired and felt to be highly competitive.
For those opposed to social hierarchy, on the other hand, Jewish power is perceived as a threat to their vision of an egalitarian society. An egalitarian society is one in which all people are treated equally and have the same opportunities for success. These people tend to view society through the lens of the oppressor and the oppressed. Perceiving Jews as an overly powerful group positions them as a barrier to full equality.
To test this model, the authors recruited participants through an online survey platform. The initial sample underwent a screening process in which individuals who failed the attention check were excluded. The final sample included 1,765 adults from six countries. These countries are the United States, Mexico, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland.
The researchers measured several specific psychological and ideological traits using a 1- to 7-point numerical rating scale. Participants read various statements and indicated the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with them. One question measured perceived Jewish power. This included an item asking whether participants believed that Jews have too much control over world affairs and international financial markets.
The study also measured two types of perceived threats. Participants answered questions assessing whether they felt Jewish success came at the expense of their own group. This captured the perceived threat to in-group dominance. They also answered the question of whether Jewish success undermined equality in society, thereby measuring the perceived threat to egalitarianism.
To understand participants’ broader worldviews, the scientists measured pro-hierarchical and anti-hierarchical beliefs. They used a concept called social dominance orientation to identify people who prefer group-based hierarchies and inequality. People who score high in this area tend to view certain groups as inferior. They also measured right-wing authoritarianism, which favors strict obedience to authority, strong leaders, and punitive measures against opponents.
To capture anti-hierarchical beliefs, the survey measured left-wing authoritarianism. This concept includes a willingness to use coercive or coercive measures, such as censorship, to achieve social equality and dismantle existing power structures. The survey also included questions assessing general dedication to egalitarian causes and fairness. Finally, the researchers measured anti-Semitic attitudes using established psychological scales that capture prejudiced beliefs, malicious stereotypes, and distrust.
The data provided evidence supporting the dual threat model. The researchers found that perceiving Jews as powerful people strongly predicted feelings of threat to both in-group dominance and egalitarian ideals. These feelings of threat strongly predicted anti-Semitic attitudes across the sample.
Participants’ ideological worldviews amplified these effects. Those who supported a hierarchical society believed that Jews were in power and strongly anticipated threats to their group’s dominance. Among opponents of class society, recognition of Jewish power strongly predicted a threat to their egalitarian ideals.
“Anti-Semitism is often linked to the perception that Jews have power, influence and control,” Hadar told Cypost. “This helps explain why antisemitism can manifest on very different sides of the ideological spectrum, and why mitigating antisemitism requires understanding the specific types of threats that people perceive.”
Scientists also wanted to know whether these psychological dynamics applied only to Jews or to other minority groups who are considered successful. To do this, they asked participants the exact same questions about Asians. This allowed the researchers to compare prejudice against two different groups that are often stereotyped as having high social status, ability, and wealth.
When comparing attitudes toward Jews and Asians, researchers found striking differences. Participants in our sample believed Jews to be much more powerful and more malicious than Asians. The statistical model also explained a much larger portion of the variation in anti-Semitism than it did in anti-Asian prejudice.
“Since Jews and Asians are often stereotyped as ‘successful,’ we also considered whether this model could explain anti-Asian prejudice,” Hadar said. “We found that it explained anti-Semitism, but not to the extent that it explained anti-Semitism. This was really interesting to me because it shows how societal narratives shape the way people feel threatened by different groups.”
This comparison suggests that while this model helps explain prejudice against other high-status groups, it is particularly relevant to anti-Semitism. The authors note that Jews make up a small portion of the world’s population. Their perception of vast global power appears to be shaped by deep-seated historical conspiracy narratives rather than actual numerical representation.
The researchers point out several limitations and potential for misinterpretation of their study. This study is based on correlational data collected from a single point in time survey. This means that it cannot be conclusively proven that perceived power directly causes these specific feelings of threat. Future experimental studies that manipulate perceptions of force in controlled environments are needed to provide evidence of direct causality.
Model results also varied slightly by country. The interaction between perceived power and anti-hierarchy ideology on feelings of threat emerged only in the United States and Australia. The authors suggest that the meaning and expression of anti-hierarchical beliefs may vary across cultural and political contexts around the world.
Another area for future research involves understanding the role of legitimacy perceptions in intergroup relations. The researchers suggest investigating how people react when they believe a group has gained power in an unfair or unusual way rather than through accepted social norms. Clarifying the difference between perceived power, which includes control over resources, and perceived status, which includes social respect, may also improve the model in future research.
The findings highlight new directions for educational and social interventions aimed at reducing prejudice. Anti-Semitism stems from different types of perceived threats, so a general approach may not work. Customized strategies that address fears specific to particular political groups may be more effective in reducing prejudice.
The study, “Perceived Danger of Power: A Dual Threat Model of Anti-Semitism,” was authored by Brit Hadar, Neal Halevi, Taya R. Cohen, Evan P. Apfelbaum, and Lauren Chan.
