The Interplay Between Economic Hardship, Anomie, and Conspiracy Beliefs in Shaping Anti‐Immigrant Sentiment

ABSTRACT As hostility toward immigrants grows, it is essential to explore the psychological factors that contribute to anti‐immigrant attitudes. Although the impact of economic hardship, societal anomie, and conspiracy belief on anti‐immigration attitudes have all been individually studied, their combined impact remains underexamined. Across six studies ( n = 3,643), we investigated how economic hardship and perceptions of societal decline (anomie) predict anti‐immigrant attitudes about Non‐European immigrants, with anti‐immigrant conspiracy beliefs as a potential serial mediator. Study 1a ( n = 491, UK participants) found that both perceived and actual economic hardship predicted anti‐immigrant sentiment (e.g., support for violence against Non‐European immigrants) through anomie and conspiracy beliefs, an effect replicated in Study 1b ( n = 493, Irish participants). Study 2 ( n = 760) used a quasi‐experimental design and found that participants from UK postcode areas with higher income deprivation reported greater anomie, which was linked to belief in Non‐European immigrant conspiracy theories and anti‐immigrant sentiment. Study 3a ( n = 790, UK participants) confirmed these associations with experimentally simulated economic hardship in a virtual society; Study 3b ( n = 321, participants from Ireland) replicated this effect. Study 4 ( n = 788, UK) demonstrated that individuals experiencing economic hardship, when exposed to conspiracy content, reported significantly higher violent intentions toward immigrants and marginally higher non‐violent intentions. Together, these studies, using diverse research designs, provide evidence that economic hardship and anomie may contribute to anti‐immigrant sentiment, with conspiracy beliefs potentially mediating these relationships.