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The polarizing impact of numeracy, economic literacy, and science literacy on attitudes toward immigration

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  • Lucia Savadori
  • Giuseppe Espa
  • Maria Michela Dickson

Abstract

Political orientation polarizes the attitudes of more educated individuals on controversial issues. A highly controversial issue in Europe is immigration. We found the same polarizing pattern for opinion toward immigration in a representative sample of citizens of a southern European middle-size city. Citizens with higher numeracy, scientific and economic literacy presented a more polarized view of immigration, depending on their worldview orientation. Highly knowledgeable individuals endorsing an egalitarian-communitarian worldview were more in favor of immigration, whereas highly knowledgeable individuals with a hierarchical-individualist worldview were less in favor of immigration. Those low in numerical, economic, and scientific literacy did not show a polarized attitude. Results highlight the central role of socio-political orientation over information theories in shaping attitudes toward immigration.

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  • Lucia Savadori & Giuseppe Espa & Maria Michela Dickson, 2020. "The polarizing impact of numeracy, economic literacy, and science literacy on attitudes toward immigration," Papers 2011.02362, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2011.02362
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    1. Grace O. Onodipe & Amanda L. Wilsker & Mark A. Partridge, 2022. "Economic knowledge, political views, and Covid-19 related behaviors," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 42(2), pages 895-906.

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