Graduate Studies, UNL

 

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Accessibility Remediation

If you are unable to use this item in its current form due to accessibility barriers, you may request remediation through our remediation request form.

First Advisor

Elizabeth Theiss-Morse

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Committee Members

Mike Dodd, Pierce Ekstrom, Serigo Wals

Department

Political Science

Date of this Version

5-22-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy

Major: Political Science

Under the supervision of Professor Elizabeth Theiss-Morse

Lincoln, Nebraska, May 2026

Comments

Copyright 2026, London Maria Wolff. Used by permission

Abstract

This dissertation utilized a cognitive appraisal theory of emotion perspective to study the role of partisan group-based emotion in immigration attitude formation to better understand partisan immigration attitudes and preferences in the United States. Across one correlational and two experimental studies, this research showed that partisan group-based emotions predicted immigration attitudes significantly distinctly than do individual-level emotions. The first and third papers showed that group-based emotions predicted immigration attitudes. The second highlighted the role that individual-level empathy plays in immigration preferences. Taken together, to more fully understand how Americans form attitudes towards immigrants and immigration, researchers must account for both individual-level and partisan group-based emotions.

Furthermore, partisan differences showed an effect of emotion type, wherein Democrats and Republicans rely on discrete group-based emotion paths. Study one found that for strong Democrats, both positive and negative group-based affect predicted pro-immigrant sentiment. However, among strong Republicans, only negative emotions had an association with negative immigration attitudes. The third study examined emotion regulation and found that successful emotion regulation indirectly impacted immigration attitudes through experienced group-based emotions for Republican participants. Emotion regulation lessened the association between negative group-based emotions and anti-immigration attitudes. These three papers make a strong case that political science and political psychological research on attitude formation should consider the roles of partisan group-based emotions and emotion regulation in immigration attitude formation.

Download

Share

COinS