They Are Us? The Mediating Effects of Compatibility-based Trust on the Relationship Between Discrimination and Overall Trust

The tragic Christchurch massacre brought the dangers of social ‘othering’ to the forefront of public attention. While the extreme nature of the attack shocked majority and minority groups alike, overt and latent discrimination are common experiences for many minorities in Aotearoa. Focusing on the impact of discrimination, this research examines the mechanism through which discrimination negatively affects intergroup trust, utilizing the multidimensional Intergroup Trust Model. We investigate trust through a study of police-minority relations, comparing the Aotearoa Māori perspective with the Black American perspective. Mediation analysis, based on a multidimensional approach to trust, suggests a similar mechanism across both groups: Perceived discrimination’s impact on trust is mediated by a lack of compatibility-based trust, the perception that they are ‘others’ to the police. Taken together, the results provide insight on how discrimination erodes intergroup relations and indicate that its damaging impact can be repaired by strengthening groups’ perceived compatibility with one another and highlighting shared parallel similarities.