Not as innocent as it seems? The effects of "neutral" messaging on refugee attitudes

Hillenb and, Tobias; Ma o ano, B uno; Siegel, Melissa
Wo king Pape
No as innocen as i seems? The e ec s o "neu al"
messaging on e ugee a i udes
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Sugges ed Ci a ion: Hillenb and, Tobias; Ma o ano, B uno; Siegel, Melissa (2025) : No as innocen
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No as innocen as i seems?
The e ec s o "neu al" messaging on e ugee a i udes
Tobias Hillenb and, B uno Ma o ano and Melissa Siegel
Published 16 Ap il 2025
DOI: h ps://www.doi.o g/10.53330/YTID6699
Maas ich Economic and social Resea ch ins i u e on Inno a ion and Technology (UNU-MERIT)
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No as innocen as i seems?
The e ec s o “neu al” messaging on e ugee a i udes
Tobias Hillenb anda,b,1, B uno Ma o anoa,b, Melissa Siegela,b
aUni ed Na ions Uni e si y-MERIT, Boschs aa 24, 6211 AX Maas ich , The Ne he lands
bMaas ich Uni e si y, Minde b oede sbe g 4-6, 6211 LK Maas ich , The Ne he lands
Abs ac
Immig a ion has become one o he mos di isi e poli ical issues in Eu ope and a ound he wo ld. In
Ge many, Eu ope’s la ges e ugee hos ing coun y, public a i udes ha e eached a low poin . Besides
inc eased “ eal-li e” exposu e o immig an s, exposu e o all so s o messages cen e ed a ound
immig a ion and e ugees may be behind his wo ying end. While p io esea ch has in es iga ed he
e ec s o speci ic subjec s o he immig a ion discou se, such as speci ic ames o s a is ical
in o ma ion, i emains unclea how “neu al” epo ing on e ugee mig a ion impac s public a i udes.
We ill his gap using da a om an o iginal su ey expe imen conduc ed in Ge many in May 2023.
The indings sugges ha a sobe (neu al) ideo p o iding basic backg ound in o ma ion on Sy ian
e ugees educes humani a ian conce ns o his e ugee g oup, inc eases he pe cep ion o secu i y
h ea s and lowe s he willingness o suppo e ugee camps ab oad. The esul s a e d i en by Wes
Ge man esiden s. Quali a i e da a e eals ha , al hough he ideo is indeed pe cei ed as “neu al”, i
igge s secu i y- ela ed associa ions among Wes Ge mans, seemingly e oding conce ns o e ugees’
wellbeing. Con e sely, Eas Ge mans, while s a ing om a sligh ly mo e nega i e base le el, mo e
equen ly exp ess indi e ence. Finally, me ging ou su ey da a wi h adminis a i e da a on he o eign
popula ion in esponden s’ coun ies e eals ha la ge pe cen age inc eases in eal-li e immig a ion
exposu e mi iga e he ea men e ec .
JEL classi ica ions: A13, D63, D83, J15
Keywo ds: Mig a ion a i udes, mig a ion discou se, e ugees; humani a ianism; h ea
pe cep ions; su ey expe imen
1 Co esponding au ho a : Uni ed Na ions Uni e si y-MERIT, Ne he lands
Email add esses: hillen[email p o ec ed]u.edu, ma o ano@me i .unu.edu, siegel@me i .unu.edu
1
1) In oduc ion
In many Eu opean coun ies, he issue o asylum immig a ion has shaped he poli ical agenda
and discou se mo e han mos o he issues in ecen yea s. This was accompanied by a ise o
a - igh g oups, such as he A D pa y in Ge many, which doubled i s o e sha e in he 2025
legisla i e elec ions. Exi polls e eal ha he o e s in Eu ope’s la ges e ugee des ina ion
coun y pe cei ed “immig a ion, asylum and in eg a ion” as he mos impo an p oblem (ZDF,
n.d.). This is in line wi h an analysis by Wieland (2024), sugges ing ha a i udes owa ds
immig a ion a e pa icula ly nega i e in he a e ma h o la ge in lows o asylum seeke s and
e ugees as was he case in 2015/2016 and 2022/2023. Figu e 1 illus a es he subs an ial
luc ua ions in he p opo ion o Ge mans skep ical o admi ing mo e e ugees since 2015.
This aises ques ions abou he d i e s o a i udes owa ds (humani a ian) immig a ion,
pa icula ly in imes o la ge-scale in luxes.
Figu e 1: Pe cen age o Ge mans agains he admission o mo e e ugees
Sou ce: Au ho s’ illus a ion based on da a om Wieland (2024)
In ligh o he exis ing li e a u e, we dis inguish be ween wo explana o y app oaches: “ eal-
li e” exposu e as well as messaging exposu e. Real-li e exposu e ela es o (changing)
cha ac e is ics in an indi idual’s en i onmen due o he p esence o a i al o immig an s. This
includes inc eased exposu e o and oppo uni ies o con ac wi h immig an s as a di ec
consequence, bu may also include mo e indi ec implica ions such as inc eased compe i ion
Pe cen

2
o housing (Unal e al., 2024). Implica ions o immig a ion can ela e o, o example, a
coun y’s economy, cul u al li e and secu i y si ua ion and a e no necessa ily nega i e.2 A
ecen s udy by D ažano á & Gonno (2023) poin s o di e ences in he ela ionship be ween
eal-li e exposu e and a i udes depending on how exposu e is measu ed: On he one hand, a
la ge egional sha e o mig an s is associa ed wi h mo e mig a ion- iendly a i udes.
Con e sely, sho - e m inc eases in he sha e o he o eign-bo n popula ion end o uel
esis ance. These dynamics can be linked o wo lines o a gumen in he li e a u e e ol ing
ei he a ound posi i e e ec s o in e g oup con ac , a leas unde a o able condi ions (Allpo ,
1954; Pe ig ew & T opp, 2006), o a ound pe cep ions o immig a ion as a h ea and
unwan ed compe i ion o sca ce esou ces (Blalock, 1967; Bobo, 1999; S ephan e al., 2009).
The al e na i e explana ion is based on he insigh ha immig a ion a i udes a e o med based
on pe cep ions a he han ha d ac s (Wong, 2007). This sugges s ha he a ious messages
a ound immig a ion ha people a e exposed o, o example ia he public discou se, may also
ma e o how hey hink and eel abou he opic. Typically, hese s udies examining
messaging e ec s included speci ic elemen s, such as h ea o humani a ian ames o
in o ma ion on immig an numbe s, ha we e in ended o sway people’s a i udes in one
di ec ion o ano he . Howe e , a lo o messages in he public discou se a e no aimed a
in luencing people’s iews bu a he a , o example, p o iding basic backg ound in o ma ion
on cu en o pas de elopmen s, using a neu al one. Indeed, calls o a calme and mo e
objec i e discou se ha e become commonplace. Howe e , esea che s ha e so a sidelined
he ques ion o how people espond o messaging ha is designed o be neu al and sobe .
In ac , he li e a u e sugges s ha messaging can impac people’s a i udes no only h ough i s
con en bu also by me ely inc easing he salience o he issue. Exis ing publica ions ha e
la gely ansla ed issue salience in o he p e alence o mig a ion co e age in he media and
p oduced somewha ambiguous esul s wi h ega d o e ec s o issue salience. These s udies
we e p edominan ly based on obse a ional da a hough, aising a numbe o endogenei y
conce ns3 and did no look a e ugee and asylum mig a ion in pa icula . Howe e , his o m
o mig a ion is especially poli ically sensi i e and esea ch sugges s ha he o ma ion o
2 In pa icula , economic and cul u al e ec s can also be (pe cei ed as) posi i e con ibu ions (Mau e e al.,
2021).
3 A summa y o exis ing indings and o he challenges o causal iden i ica ion is discussed in Sec ion 2.
3
a i udes di e s sys ema ically be ween he con ex s o humani a ian mig a ion and o he
mig a ion o ms (Abdelaa y & S eele, 2022; F ase & Mu akami, 2022).
This esea ch is mean o ill his gap by in es iga ing he ques ion o how exposu e o a
neu ally designed ideo on e ugees impac s humani a ian conce ns, h ea pe cep ions and
policy p e e ences owa ds e ugees. This is pa icula ly impo an o in es iga e gi en ha
some media co e age aims o be as neu al as possible in messaging wi h he hopes o “only
show he ac s”. Addi ionally, esea che s and academics a e o en unde he imp ession ha
all hey need o do is gi e neu al ac s o p ope ly o m opinions on mig a ion. We app oach
his ques ion by means o a su ey expe imen in Ge many, in which we employed a sho
p o essionally p oduced ideo clip abou Sy ian e ugees in Tu key whose con en does no
con ain any elemen s o in luence a i udes in one way o ano he . Thanks o ollow-up da a
collec ion, we can p o ide addi ional insigh s in o he cogni i e and emo ional eac ions o
esponden s, which sheds ligh on he mechanisms unde lying ou ea men e ec s. Finally,
we me ge ou su ey da a wi h adminis a i e da a on he o eign popula ion in Ge man
coun ies (K eise) o explo e in e ac ions be ween ou ea men o exposu e o mig a ion
messaging wi h a p oxy o eal-li e mig a ion exposu e.
Ou esul s demons a e ha e en exposu e o a ideo designed o speak abou e ugee
mig a ion in a calm and neu al way leads o e oding conce ns o he wellbeing o Sy ian
e ugees and d i es up pe cep ions o a secu i y h ea . Fu he , we ind weak e idence ha
ideo exposu e educes willingness o sign a pe i ion o suppo e ugee camps ab oad. Ou
da a shows ha he inc eased nega i i y h ough ea men exposu e is d i en by Wes Ge mans
and less p onounced in coun ies ha expe ienced la ge pe cen age inc eases in hei o eign
popula ions in he yea s p io o he da a collec ion. Da a om a second da a collec ion ound
con i ms ha Wes Ge mans a e mo e likely o make associa ions wi h he secu i y si ua ion in
Ge many, whe eas Eas Ge mans appea o be mo e indi e en when seeing he ideo.
Mo eo e , i p o ides e idence ha he ideo was no jus in ended o be neu al and sobe bu
was also pe cei ed as such and ha he impac on a i udes is due o inc eased salience a he
han speci ic con en s in he ideo.
This esea ch makes a ious con ibu ions o he li e a u e on mig a ion messaging and
mig a ion a i udes. Fi s , ou in e es in he e ec o neu al messaging de ia es om exis ing
s udies ha we e mainly cen e ed a ound aming in e en ions o he upda ing o (biased)
belie s. Fu he , we speak o he limi ed li e a u e on salience e ec s o which we add a new
4
angle by ocusing speci ically on humani a ian mig a ion, and we ad ance his li e a u e s and
me hodologically by p o iding expe imen al e idence o complemen he exis ing
obse a ional s udies. In addi ion, we p o ide a deepe unde s anding o he unde lying
mechanisms o ou in e en ion h ough an addi ional da a collec ion speci ically ailo ed o
his pu pose. Finally, we u he illumina e he in e ac ions be ween messaging e ec s and
ac ual mig a ion pa e ns.
2) Li e a u e e iew
2.1) Public discou se and mig a ion a i udes in Ge many
Gene ally, e ugees a e conside ed somewha ambi alen igu es since hey a e a he same
ime associa ed wi h ulne abili y as well as po en ial h ea s. This pa e n applies o bo h
public pe cep ions (Adida e al., 2019; F ase & Mu akami, 2022; Jeanne e al., 2021) and
media depic ions (Choulia aki & S olic, 2017; Mau e e al., 2021; McCann e al., 2023). In
2015, he salience o he immig a ion opic, pa icula ly o i egula immig a ion, g ew in
andem wi h he inc easing numbe o asylum seeke a i als in Eu opean coun ies
(Heiden eich e al., 2019; Mau e e al., 2019). Va ious s udies analyzing he Eu opean media
landscape a he ime documen he p e alence o di e en ames o hese new a i als, such
as h ea o ic im ames (Choulia aki & S olic, 2017; G eussing & Boomgaa den, 2017;
Heiden eich e al., 2019). Howe e , he e we e changes o e ime: o example, Choulia aki e
al. (2017, p. 2) s a e ha he sympa he ic clima e in he summe mon hs o 2015 was “ eplaced
by suspicion and, in some cases, hos ili y owa ds e ugees and mig an s”.
Fo Ge many, he p e alence o a “human in e es ” ame was ela i ely widesp ead and
expanding un il he la e summe o 2015, when i began o decline. Con e sely, news co e age
linking mig an s wi h c ime and e o ism was ini ially low bu inc eased s eeply om au umn
2015 onwa ds (Heiden eich e al., 2019). In an analysis o six Ge man leading media ou le s,
bo h p in and ele ision4, Mau e e al. (2019) inds ha only 2 pe cen o immig a ion- ela ed
news i ems made links wi h c iminali y in 2015. In Janua y 2016 hough, ollowing he New
Yea E e e en s in Cologne, whe e a la ge numbe o ha assmen inciden s occu ed, mos ly
in ol ing suspec s wi h mig a ion backg ounds, his p opo ion sky ocke ed o 26 pe cen . This
also coincided wi h a onali y change in he co e age o immig an s, which was qui e posi i e
in he Ge man media in 2015 bu u ned much mo e nega i e in Janua y 2016 (Mau e e al.,
4 The s udy did no co e all i ems ela ed o immig a ion in gene al, bu only hose linked o immig a ion om
coun ies ha played a ele an ole in he 2015/16 “mig a ion c isis”, such as Sy ia o A ghanis an.
5
2019). And while he indi idual immig an s we e po ayed la gely posi i ely in 2015, and
pa icula ly he ulne abili y and need o Sy ian e ugees was widely ecognized (McCann e
al., 2023), he la ge-scale immig a ion as a mo e abs ac phenomenon was mos ly depic ed as
a challenge a he han an oppo uni y (Mau e e al., 2019). In line wi h hese de elopmen s
in he media, Czyma a & Schmid -Ca an (2017) e ealed a signi ican decline in he
accep ance owa ds immig an s among Ge mans be ween Ap il 2015 and Feb ua y 2016. This
decline was pa icula ly p onounced o immig an s om he Middle Eas and A ica. A he
same ime hough, hey ound ha he accep ance owa ds e ugees, who we e o e all ega ded
as mo e accep able, emained high.
The media analysis by Mau e e al. (2019) was ex ended o he pe iod 2016 o 2020 in a la e
publica ion (Mau e e al., 2021). Besides a decline in issue salience, he au ho s desc ibe a
p edominan ly nega i e depic ion o he opic o mig a ion. This ime, he a he nega i e one
applied o bo h he phenomenon o asylum immig a ion as well as o he immig an s
hemsel es. The immig a ion consequences we e po ayed mainly as a h ea o Ge many, wi h
links o secu i y implica ions (i.e., c ime and e o ism) being much mo e p e alen han
economic o social implica ions (Mau e e al., 2021).
A e Russia s a ed i s ull-scale in asion o Uk aine in Feb ua y 2022, causing he
displacemen o millions o Uk ainians, many o whom mig a ed o Ge many, he “Welcome
Cul u e” in Ge many was e i ed. Howe e , he simul anei y o he in lux o app oxima ely
one million Uk ainians and su ging asylum seeke numbe s led o s ained esou ces esul ing
in, o example, appeals o help om Ge man municipali ies (Wieland, 2024). In his con ex ,
asylum immig a ion om ou side o Eu ope became pa icula ly con o e sial. S udies show
ha a i udes we e mo e posi i e owa ds Uk ainians han non-Eu opean e ugees, such as
A ghans and Somalis (Moise e al., 2024) o Sy ians (D ažano á & Geddes, 2023). These
s udies also show a de e io a ion o e ugee a i udes in he mon hs ollowing Russia’s in asion.
Be ween May/June 2022 and Ap il 2023, he sha e o Ge man esponden s ha p e e ed o
admi no o only ew Sy ian e ugees su ged by oughly 20 pe cen age poin s (D ažano á &
Geddes, 2023). This is also in line wi h he la es da a collec ion o he Be elsmann S i ung
in Oc obe 2024, in which 60 pe cen o esponden s ag eed wi h he s a emen ha Ge many
could no ake in mo e e ugees because i had eached a capaci y limi . This p opo ion was
highe han in any o he h ee p eceding wa es o da a collec ion (Wieland, 2024).
12
In he i s ound o da a collec ion, pa icipan s wa ched ei he he ea men o he con ol
ideo, a e which hey answe ed ques ions abou hei humani a ian conce ns – i.e., conce ns
o he well-being o Sy ian e ugees in Tu key – and hei pe cep ions o h ea ega ding a
(hypo he ical) mig a ion o hese e ugees o Ge many. Speci ically, we asked esponden s o
wha ex en hey we e conce ned abou he e ugees’ sa e y, ma e ial well-being, heal h, and
u u e p ospec s (humani a ian conce ns) on a scale om 1 (no a all conce ned) o 5 ( e y
conce ned). The h ea pe cep ion i ems assessed ea s ela ed o labo ma ke compe i ion,
wel a e s a e implica ions, secu i y isks, and cul u al compa ibili y be ween e ugees and
na i es ( h ea pe cep ions), using a 5-poin scale as well. Addi ionally, esponden s exp essed
hei policy p e e ences by indica ing hei suppo (o lack he eo ) o a policy pe i ion. One
pe i ion ad oca ed o inc eased inancial suppo o e ugee camps hos ing Sy ians in Tu key
(camps pe i ion), while he o he called o he admission o Sy ians om Tu key o Ge many
(admission pe i ion). The inclusion o such high-s akes ques ions helps o elici he ue
opinions o su ey esponden s, pa icula ly in con ex s whe e ce ain esponses may be seen
as mo e (o less) socially desi able (S an che a, 2023).
In he second ound, we aimed a unde s anding he associa ions esponden s made while
wa ching he ideo using an open-ended ques ion. We also asked hem o ill ou a ma ix wi h
32 emo ions, co e ing ange , disgus , ea , anxie y, sadness, desi e, elaxa ion, and happiness
i ems. Speci ically, we eques ed hem o indica e he ex en o which hey expe ienced hese
emo ions while wa ching he ideo on a 7-poin Like scale. The o de o he associa ions
ques ion and he emo ional scale we e andomized o add ess po en ial o de e ec s. English
ansla ions o he ques ionnai es a e p in ed in Appendix A and Appendix B, espec i ely. The
o iginal Ge man e sions can be made a ailable upon eques .
This da a is used o empi ically es he e ec s o ou ideo ea men on esponden s’ a i udes
owa ds e ugees. Speci ically, ou empi ical app oach ollows his OLS eg ession equa ion:
𝑦= 𝛽+ 𝛽𝑉𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑜+ 𝛽𝑉𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑜∗ 𝐼𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛+ 𝛽𝐼𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛+ 𝛽𝑋+ 𝜆+ 𝑢
In his equa ion, 𝑦 ep esen s he e ugee a i udes o esponden i pe aining o humani a ian
conce ns, h ea pe cep ions, and policy p e e ences. The a iable 𝑉𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑜 s ands o he
esponden s’ ea men s a us, i.e. exposu e o he ea men o he con ol ideo, whe eas
𝐼𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 cap u es he ex en o esponden s’ eal-li e immig a ion exposu e depending
on he coun y o esidence c. This is ei he measu ed as a s ock a iable, i.e. he sha e o o eign

13
ci izens in 2022, o as a low a iable, i.e. he pe cen age inc ease in he o eign popula ion
be ween 2014 and 2022. 𝑋 is a ec o wi h indi idual-le el con ol a iables, comp ising
measu es o he esponden s’ gende , age, income, educa ion, poli ical o ien a ion and social
us . Finally, 𝜆 is a dummy a iable o he esponden s’ s a e o esidence s.
4) Resul s
We p oceed wi h he p esen a ion o ou esul s as ollows: Fi s , we show he e ec s o ou
ea men on humani a ian conce ns, h ea pe cep ions and policy p e e ences o esponden s
and discuss he he e ogenei y be ween Eas and Wes Ge many. Reg ession ables in he main
ex include a se o con ol a iables, whe eas he eg ession esul s wi hou con ols can be
ound in Appendix G. Second, we shed ligh on he channels unde lying ou ea men e ec s
by analyzing ou da a on he associa ions and emo ions esponden s epo ed when wa ching
he ideo. Finally, we in es iga e whe he and how he ea men e ec s a e mode a ed by
esponden s’ eal-li e immig a ion exposu e ( ables in Appendix H).
4.1 Analysis o he main ea men e ec s
The le els o he ou ypes o humani a ian conce ns we obse ed we e, on a e age, all close
o he middle ca ego y o h ee, wi h conce ns o sa e y and ma e ial wellbeing sligh ly below
and conce ns o heal h and u u e p ospec s jus abo e h ee. The a e age alues o h ea
pe cep ions show sligh ly mo e a ia ion. In pa icula , pe cei ed job h ea is less p onounced
han wel a e, secu i y and cul u al h ea pe cep ions, which aligns wi h ea lie esea ch
(D ažano á e al., 2024; Hainmuelle & Hopkins, 2014). Suppo o he camps and he
admission pe i ions amoun o 25 pe cen and 23 pe cen , espec i ely. This is small compa ed
o ea lie esea ch (Aze edo e al., 2021), which may ha e o do wi h he speci ic con ex in
which he da a was collec ed.11 Compa ing ea men and con ol g oup, we obse e ha he
a e age le els o humani a ian conce n a e a leas sligh ly g ea e in he con ol ela i e o he
ea men g oup ac oss all ou conce n ypes. Simila ly, con ol g oup esponden s show
sligh ly lowe a e ages o ou h ea pe cep ion measu es and a g ea e willingness o sign he
11 The combina ion o la ge numbe s o Uk ainian e ugees and inc eased asylum immig a ion o Ge many
esul ed in a widesp ead eeling o being o e whelmed and in p e e ences o educed e ugee immig a ion
(Wieland, 2024).
14
camps pe i ion.12 This indica es ha e ugee a i udes we e, on a e age, mo e posi i e in he
con ol is-à- is he ea men g oup.
This imp ession is con i med in ou eg ession analysis. Table 1 summa izes he e ec s o
exposu e o he ea men ideo on esponden s’ humani a ian conce ns o he e ugees. We
consis en ly ind a nega i e e ec o simila size on all ou dimensions o humani a ian
conce ns.13 This sugges s ha exposu e o a ideo, designed o speak abou e ugee mig a ion
neu ally, leads o a signi ican e osion in compassion owa ds he espec i e e ugee g oup.
Table 1: T ea men e ec s on humani a ian conce ns
Sa e y Ma e ial Heal h Fu u e
T ea men -0.369
***
-0.354
***
-0.341
***
-0.298
***
[0.099] [0.099] [0.105] [0.106]
Con ol mean 2.974 3.170 3.264 3.253
Obse a ions 620 624 624 620
R-squa ed 0.172 0.194 0.175 0.185
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us ,
s a e (Bundesland) o esidence. S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
The ea men e ec s on esponden s’ h ea pe cep ions a e summa ized in Table 2. Ou da a
sugges s ha pe cep ions o job, wel a e and cul u al h ea a e una ec ed by ou ea men .
Howe e , we iden i y a posi i e e ec on esponden s’ pe cep ions o e ugees as a secu i y
isk. Secu i y conce ns ha e been ound o be pa icula ly impo an in shaping e ugee
a i udes (Laha & Cou emanche, 2012; Landmann e al., 2019). While pas esea ch s udying
messaging e ec s on immig a ion- ela ed ea s included speci ic h ea - ela ed elemen s in he
ea men s, we demons a e ha messaging can ampli y secu i y h ea pe cep ions e en hough
he messaging con en makes no connec ions o secu i y isks.
12 The p opensi y o sign he admission pe i ion is i ually iden ical ac oss bo h g oups.
13 The e ec size o ou ea men amoun s o oughly one ou h o he s anda d de ia ion o he ou come
a iables.
15
Table 2: T ea men e ec s on h ea pe cep ions
Jobs Wel a e Secu i y Cul u e
T ea men 0.076 0.007 0.195** 0.117
[0.085] [0.085] [0.085] [0.081]
Con ol mean 2.481 3.393 3.259 3.452
Obse a ions 642 642 642 642
R-squa ed 0.173 0.255 0.297 0.212
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us ,
s a e (Bundesland) o esidence. S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
Finally, we a e in e es ed in whe he he ea men also ansla es in o di e ences in people’s
policy p e e ences, speci ically in people’s willingness o sign a pe i ion ei he o suppo
Sy ians in Tu kish e ugee camps o o admi ing Sy ians om Tu key. Table 3 e eals ha
we did no ind signi ican e ec s on hese beha io al ou comes, a leas no a he con en ional
5 pe cen signi icance le el. Ou poin es ima e o a 7.6 pe cen age poin educ ion in
esponden s’ willingness o sign he pe i ion o camps suppo is, howe e , meaning ul in size
and signi ican a he 10 pe cen le el. This is in line wi h o he indings sugges ing ha
changing pe cep ions is mo e easily achie ed han policy p e e ences (Jø gensen &
Osmundsen, 2022).
Table 3: T ea men e ec s on policy p e e ences
Camps Admission
T ea men -0.076* -0.008
[0.046] [0.047]
Con ol mean 0.292 0.232
Obse a ions 319 323
R-squa ed 0.262 0.202
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us ,
s a e (Bundesland) o esidence. S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
4.2 He e ogenei y o ea men e ec s be ween Eas and Wes
O e all, he ea men e ec s appea qui e simila ac oss a wide ange o socioeconomic
cha ac e is ics, such as esponden s’ gende , educa ion, poli ical and humani a ian o ien a ion
o social us le els. Howe e , we ind in e es ing geog aphical a ia ions. Fo example, we
iden i y signi ican di e ences in how Eas and Wes Ge man esiden s espond o he
16
ea men (Table 4). While Eas Ge mans show, on a e age, sligh ly lowe le els o
humani a ian conce ns han Wes Ge mans in he con ol g oup14, he e is no decline in Eas
Ge mans’ humani a ian conce ns ollowing ou ea men . In o he wo ds, he nega i e o e all
e ec o ou ea men is d i en by he eac ions o Wes a he han Eas Ge man esponden s.
Table 4: T ea men e ec s on humani a ian conce ns – by Eas s. Wes
Sa e y Ma e ial Heal h Fu u e
T ea men -0.445
***
-0.415
***
-0.397
***
-0.399
***
[0.107] [0.108] [0.114] [0.115]
T ea men *Eas 0.685
**
0.544
*
0.624
**
0.670
**
[0.288] [0.292] [0.306] [0.314]
Eas -0.353
*
-0.341 -0.368 -0.323
[0.212] [0.217] [0.226] [0.231]
Con ol mean 2.974 3.170 3.264 3.253
Obse a ions 592 596 596 592
R-squa ed 0.159 0.179 0.170 0.172
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us .
S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
Simila ly, wi h espec o esponden s’ secu i y h ea pe cep ion, we again ind e idence ha
i is he Wes Ge mans who a e esponsible o he ea men e ec . E en hough he in e ac ion
e m is no signi ican he e15, when compu ing he ea men e ec s sepa a ely, he coe icien
o he Eas Ge man subsample is i ually ze o. This con as s wi h he much la ge and
signi ican ly posi i e e ec among Wes Ge mans (Table 5).
Table 5: T ea men e ec s on h ea pe cep ions – by Eas s. Wes
Jobs Wel a e Secu i y Cul u e
T ea men 0.079 -0.024 0.220
**
0.131
[0.092] [0.092] [0.092] [0.088]
14 These di e ences a e no s a is ically signi ican hough.
15 The lack o signi icance may also be due o he ela i ely small numbe o Eas Ge mans in he sample.
17
T ea men *Eas -0.090 -0.006 -0.233 -0.194
[0.244] [0.245] [0.244] [0.235]
Eas 0.022 0.112 0.101 0.110
[0.176] [0.177] [0.177] [0.170]
Con ol mean 2.481 3.393 3.259 3.452
Obse a ions 613 613 613 613
R-squa ed 0.170 0.246 0.294 0.197
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us .
S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
Tu ning o he pe i ion ques ions, we ind, once mo e, ha he ideo ea men educes suppo
o on-si e assis ance among Wes Ge mans, whe eas he coe icien o Eas Ge mans is
posi i e, albei insigni ican . We do no de ec signi ican e ec s o di e ences wi h espec o
admission p e e ences.
Table 6: T ea men e ec s on policy p e e ences – by Eas s. Wes
Camps Admission
T ea men -0.108
**
-0.029
[0.050] [0.050]
T ea men *Eas 0.298
**
0.113
[0.139] [0.138]
Eas -0.200
*
-0.122
[0.113] [0.087]
Con ol mean 0.292 0.232
Obse a ions 306 307
R-squa ed 0.215 0.160
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us .
S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.

18
4.3 In-dep h analysis o associa ions and emo ions
We ha e p o ided a comp ehensi e pic u e o he e ec s o “neu al” e ugee mig a ion
messaging on a ious o ms o e ugee a i udes and analyzed he ex en o which he e ec s
di e be ween esiden s o Eas and Wes Ge many. To unde s and be e why and how ou
ea men a ec s people’s iews, we ollowed up wi h a second ound o da a collec ion in
which we asked esponden s explici ly wha he ideo made hem hink o (associa ions
ques ion) and which emo ions hey expe ienced when wa ching i (emo ions ques ion). While
all 327 esponses on he emo ional expe iences we e analyzed, we emo ed esponses o he
associa ions ques ion om 29 pa icipan s due o insu icien quali y.
The emo ion wi h he highes a e age was “sad”, ollowed by “wo y” and “g ie ” anked hi d.
While “sad” and “g ie ” likely exp ess some o m o empa hy wi h he e ugees, “wo y” could
be linked ei he wi h conce ns o he e ugees o conce ns o onesel o o Ge many as an
impo an hos coun y o Sy ian e ugees (e en hough his was no explici ly men ioned).
Indeed, disagg ega ing his emo ion by subg oups, we ind ha a e age alues a e highes
among hose on he e y le (4.21) and hose on he e y igh (4.19) o he poli ical spec um,
whe eas he lowes a e age is ound o people iden i ying as cen is (3.52). We in e p e his
as sugges i e e idence ha esponden s’ wo y was di ec ed a di e en g oups o people.
The emo ions can be linked o a la ge numbe o empa he ic s a emen s people made answe ing
he associa ions ques ion. Among hese esponses, we ound 242 quo a ions dis ibu ed ac oss
186 esponses ha included some kind o a “p o- e ugee” message. By a he mos common
s a emen s we e linked o a ecogni ion o he ad e si y he e ugees had o cope wi h and/o
an exp ession o sympa hy, wi h 64 pe cen o he p o- e ugee i ems en ailing such a message.
O he ela i ely common ypes o p o- e ugee s a emen s we e cha ac e ized by a change o
pe spec i es (19 pe cen ), i.e. when esponden s pu hemsel es in he shoes o he e ugees, o
by a posi i e a i ude owa ds suppo o e ugees (14 pe cen ).
On he o he hand, quo a ions en ailing some kind o an i- e ugee message we e also qui e
equen (161 quo a ions), ye hese we e sp ead ac oss only 88 esponden s. In con as o he
p o- e ugee ca ego y, he e is no clea ly domina ing heme among he an i- e ugee s a emen s.
Tha said, mo e han 17 pe cen o hese quo a ions showed a link o he heme o secu i y and
c ime, making his he mos common nega i e associa ion. These quo a ions ange om
esponses wi h a a he unde s anding one, main aining, o example, ha he e ugees’
19
challenging li ing condi ions made hem mo e p one o delinquency, o labeling e ugees as
“mu de e s, hie es, apis s”16 (no. 48). Ano he ela i ely common g oup o s a emen s
doub ed he legi imacy o he mo i es o he mig an s (14 pe cen ), e.g. a guing ha hey we e
mo ing a he o economic han humani a ian easons o demanding ha she admission and
e u n policies (12 pe cen ). Wi h ega ds o u he h ea pe cep ions, s a emen s ega ding
economic h ea we e en ailed in 10 pe cen o an i- e ugee s a emen s, whe eas cul u e- ela ed
ea s we e ha dly men ioned (1 pe cen ).
These an i- e ugee ema ks can be linked wi h ano he se o emo ions wi h ela i ely high
a e ages, such as “ age”, “mad”, and “ange ”.17 Responden s’ associa ions e eal ha hese
emo ions a e in pa di ec ed a e ugees, in pa icula a “ hose who exploi he help” (no.39).
In o he ins ances hough, hese ange i ems we e appa en ly linked wi h a disapp o al o he
Sy ian Ci il Wa o wa s in gene al.18
Taken oge he , ou da a sugges s ha epo ing p o- e ugee – ela i e o an i- e ugee –
associa ions and emo ions is mo e widesp ead. A he same ime, da a om he su ey
expe imen indica ed somewha highe a e ages o h ea pe cep ions is-à- is humani a ian
conce ns. One eason may be ha social desi abili y e ec s a e pa icula ly s ong when asking
esponden s speci ically o hei associa ions and emo ions when wa ching he ideo.
Mo eo e , i is common o bo h sen imen s o co-exis wi hin he same indi idual, e en hough
one pe cep ion may be mo e p onounced han he o he (Jeanne e al., 2021). In line wi h ha ,
30 esponses included exp essions o ambi alence. Fo example, one esponden speaks o
“mixed eelings, conce ns o he secu i y o my coun y, o o my u u e and hose o my
child en, as well as empa hy wi h he Sy ian popula ion” (no. 70). This illus a es he a emp
o balance he wo dominan ‘logics’, a humani a ian assis ance and a na ional in e es ‘logic’,
ha ypically go e n he o ma ion o a i udes owa ds humani a ian mig a ion (Jeanne e al.,
2021). The ac ha he secu i y issue anks i s among he an i- e ugee s a emen s and ha
o he o ms o h ea pe cep ion we e much less common, backs ou inding ha exposu e o
he ea men ideo ampli ies he pe cep ion o secu i y ela ed ea s.
16 Since he da a collec ion was conduc ed in Ge man, all quo a ions ha e been ansla ed in o English by he
au ho s.
17 They anked i h, six h, and se en h, espec i ely.
18 O e all, he condemna ion o wa s and wa monge s was men ioned in 74 esponses, making i one o he mos
equen hemes in pa icipan s’ esponses.
20
Besides ou o e all esul s, he di e en eac ions among Eas and Wes Ge mans s ood ou .
An analysis pa icula ly o he an i- e ugee associa ions be ween hese g oups p o ides some
insigh s:19 Fi s , almos all o he e e ences o secu i y implica ions we e made by Wes
Ge mans, making i he clea on unne wi h a sha e o almos 20 pe cen o an i- e ugee
quo a ions in his sub-g oup. In line wi h his inding, all o he ea and anxie y emo ions ha
we measu ed we e, on a e age, highe among Wes han Eas Ge mans. The di e ence is
pa icula ly p onounced o “D ead” (Angs ), whe e i is also s a is ically signi ican a he 10
pe cen le el despi e he modes sample size.
Con e sely, among Eas Ge mans, indi e ence owa ds he e ugees is he mos common an i-
e ugee i em. Fo example, one esponden w i es “Fa away - only conce ns me o a limi ed
ex en , ac ually no my p oblem, I can’ and don’ wan o help wi h ha ” (no. 26). This is
co obo a ed by di e ences among elaxa ion- ela ed emo ions ha Eas and Wes Ge mans
epo ed. The a e age o Eas Ge mans is highe among all ou o he espec i e emo ions
(easy-going, chilled ou , calm, and elaxa ion). Fo he “chilled ou ”-i em, he di e ence is
especially la ge and signi ican a he 5 pe cen le el.
In summa y, he da a sugges s ha Eas Ge mans a e mo e likely o be unmo ed when wa ching
he ideo, which could explain he lack o a ea men e ec in his pa o he sample. In
con as , ideo exposu e is mo e likely o d i e up secu i y ea s among esponden s om Wes
Ge many, which is exac ly wha we ound in ou eg ession analysis. Gi en ha he Wes
Ge man subsample is also esponsible o he obse ed e osion o humani a ian conce ns
ollowing ou ea men , i seems likely ha he inc eased conce ns abou one’s own secu i y
o he secu i y o one’s co-ci izens comes a he cos o conce ns o mo e dis an o he s. This
pa e n has been discussed in he In e g oup Th ea Theo y, acco ding o which inc eased
eelings o h ea may cause he e osion o empa hy owa ds ou g oup membe s, whe eas
empa hy owa ds ing oup membe s may be ampli ied (S ephan e al., 2009).
Finally, ou ollow-up da a also sheds some ligh on whe he speci ic aspec s o he ideo’s
con en a e esponsible o he obse ed impac on esponden s, o whe he he ea men e ec s
a e mo e likely o be based on salience manipula ion. Se e al ema ks made by esponden s
sugges ha he ideo was no only in ended o be neu al bu ha his is also how i was
pe cei ed. Fo example, one esponden w o e “I ook i as an in o ma ional ideo ha , o me,
19 Da a om esponden s om Be lin a e excluded o his analysis as hey could no be clea ly assigned o ei he
camp.
21
con ained nei he new o su p ising ac s, no did i e oke any no ewo hy emo ional esponse”
(no. 235). Ano he saw i as “a sobe , calm ideo wi hou sensa ionalism o polemics”. The
e m “sobe ” (sachlich) was also highligh ed by h ee o he esponden s as well. Mul iple
esponden s men ioned explici ly ha he e was no hing new hey lea n om he ideo, as
illus a ed in his quo e: “I didn’ con ey any hing new, jus wha ’s al eady known om he
news.” Among hose who epo ed ha ing lea ned some hing h ough he ideo, he majo i y
e e ed o he impo ance o Tu key as a hos coun y o Sy ians, which has no e iden link
o ou a i ude a iables. In addi ion, he a e age sco es o he emo ions ques ions we e all
below he middle ca ego y, sugges ing ha he ideo did no e oke s ong emo ional eac ions
o any kind. O e all, ou da a makes i seem unlikely ha i was he con en o he ideo ha
impac ed he a i udes o esponden s.
4.4 In e ac ions be ween ea men and eal-li e immig a ion exposu e
We ha e shown ha eac ions o he ea men di e be ween he eas e n and wes e n egions
o he coun y. In his subsec ion, we ake a close look a he ole o people’s place o esidence
by adop ing a mo e ine-g ained app oach, ocusing on how eal-li e exposu e o immig a ion
mode a es hese eac ions. To his end, we ha e me ged ou su ey expe imen da a wi h
adminis a i e da a on he o eign popula ion by coun y (K eise) o he yea s 2014 and 2022.
Theo y sugges s ha li ing in a mo e o less di e se en i onmen a ec s people’s immig a ion
a i udes, ye , i is ambi alen wi h ega ds o he di ec ion o his e ec (see Sec ion 2).
As poin ed ou by D ažano á & Gonno (2023), exposu e o immig a ion can be
ope a ionalized in wo di e en ways, ei he cap u ing immig an s ocks, measu ed by he sha e
o he o eign popula ion a a speci ic poin in ime, o immig a ion lows, i.e. he change in
he o eign popula ion sha e in a speci ic ime pe iod. In ou da a, he e is a s ong nega i e
co ela ion20 be ween hose wo because places wi h high le els o di e si y in 2022 we e
usually qui e di e se in he baseline yea o 2014 al eady. The e o e, he pe cen age inc ease
in hese coun ies has been lowe han in ini ially mo e homogenous coun ies, whe e e en
modes in lows o o eign ci izens esul ed in ela i ely high pe cen age inc eases in he o eign
popula ion.
The da a shows ha di e si y has gone up in all Ge man coun ies, wi hou excep ion, wi h a
median inc ease o 63 pe cen . The o eign popula ion sha e in 2022 is co ela ed wi h sligh ly
20 The co ela ion coe icien is -0.67.
28
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29
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32
Appendix
Appendix A: Ques ionnai e o su ey expe imen
In he ollowing he English ansla ion o he online ques ionnai e is p in ed. The su ey in
he o iginal Ge man can be made a ailable upon eques . We epo he answe op ions in
i alic below. They a e sepa a ed by semicolons.
Q1.1 Welcome!
You will be asked o ake pa in a su ey. This su ey is conduc ed by esea che s om
Maas ich Uni e si y. All he in o ma ion you ge in his su ey is e i ied.
The e a e no igh o w ong answe s. We a e in e es ed in knowing you pe sonal iews
abou you sel and he wo ld. The su ey co e s socie y- ela ed ques ions ha also conce n he
ole o he s a e and poli ics.
Pa icipa ion is olun a y. You can e use o pa icipa e in his su ey. I you s a he su ey,
you can lea e he s udy a any ime, in which case you will no ecei e any inancial
compensa ion. Apa om he ime you spend comple ing he su ey (10-12 minu es), he e is
no cos o you. You s ill ha e he op ion o wi hd awing you consen a e comple ing he
su ey by con ac ing P o . D . Melissa Siegel (melissa.siegel@maas ich uni e si y.nl).
You s udy- ela ed in o ma ion will be ea ed con iden ially. This s udy has been
app o ed by he E hics Re iew Commi ee o Inne Ci y Facul ies (ERCIC) a Maas ich
Uni e si y. The collec ion o da a is con iden ial. Da a analysis and epo ing a e anonymous.
You da a will be kep sepa a e om you Bilendi iden i ica ion numbe .
Upon comple ion o he s udy, you will ecei e inancial compensa ion o you ime. This
is done in acco dance wi h Bilendi's guidelines.
I you ha e any ques ions o commen s abou his su ey, please con ac P o . D . Melissa
Siegel. A he end o he su ey, you will ha e he oppo uni y o gi e us eedback on you
expe ience.
____________________
Decla a ion o consen
I ag ee ha my da a will be used o scien i ic pu poses.
I had su icien ime o decide i I wan ed o pa icipa e in he s udy. I know ha pa icipa ion
in he s udy is olun a y, and I know ha I can choose o cancel he su ey and wi hd aw my
consen a any ime. I do no ha e o gi e easons o such a decision. In his case, I will no
ecei e any inancial compensa ion.
I had he oppo uni y o connec wi h P o . D . Melissa Siegel, a esea che in ol ed in his
s udy, and ask ques ions. I am awa e ha he da a is s o ed anonymously and he e o e only
published anonymously.
I ag ee o pa icipa e
Yes; No
Q2.1 The Su ey
Du ing he su ey, you will be asked o wa ch a sho ideo. Fo his, you will need wo king
speake s o headphones. The in o ma ion con ained in he ideo is genuine and comes om
33
one o mo e publicly a ailable and e i ied sou ces. The su ey will ake abou 10-12 minu es
o comple e.
You inancial compensa ion
A e comple ing he su ey, you will ecei e inancial compensa ion o you ime. The su ey
is conside ed comple e once you each he las page hanking you o pa icipa ing. You will
no ecei e any compensa ion i you cancel he su ey ea ly, bu you can do so a any ime.
Q3.1 How would you iden i y you sel ?
Man; Woman; Non-bina y / hi d gende ; P e e o sel -desc ibe; P e e no o say
Q3.2 Wha is you age in yea s?
Younge han 18; 18-27; 28-37; 38-47; 48-57; 58-69; Olde han 69, P e e no o say
Q4.1 In which s a e do you li e?
Lis o all Ge man s a es (Bundeslände ); O he ; P e e no o say
Q4.2 In which Ge man coun y do you li e?
Lis o all Ge man coun ies (Landk eise); O he ; P e e no o say
Q5.1 Wha is you highes educa ional deg ee? I you a e cu en ly s ill in educa ion, selec he
highes deg ee you ha e al eady ea ned.
No o mal educa ion; Comple ion o p ima y school; Comple ion o Haup schule o
Realschule; Fachabi u o Abi u ; Bachelo ’s deg ee; Mas e ’s deg ee o Diplom; Doc o al
deg ee; O he ; P e e no o say
Q5.2 How would you desc ibe you cu en employmen s a us?
Employed ( ull- ime o pa - ime; Sel -employed/ eelance; unemployed, jobseeke ;
unemployed, no jobseeke ; Re i ed; In ull- ime educa ion; O he , P e e no o say
Q5.3 Wha is you app oxima e annual household income a e deduc ion o axes and social
secu i y con ibu ions? Please selec he app op ia e ca ego y.
11,999 o less; 12,000-19,999; 20,000-26,999; 27,000-33,999; 34,000-40,9999; 41,000-
49,999; 50,000-59,999; 60,000-74,999; 75,000-99,999; 100,000 o mo e; P e e no o say
Q5.4 Wha is hei eligious a ilia ion?
Ch is iani y, Roman Ca holic; Ch is iani y, P o es an ; O he Ch is ian Chu ch; Islam,
Judaism; Hinduism; Buddhism; No eligious a ilia ion; O he ; P e e no o say
Q6.1 Many people use he e ms "le " and " igh " o deno e di e en poli ical iews. When
you hink abou you own poli ical iews, how would you ank hose iews on ha scale?
Le , Cen e -le ; Cen e ; Cen e - igh , Righ , P e e no o say
Q6.2 Gene ally speaking, would you say ha mos people can be us ed, o ha you can' be
oo ca e ul in dealing wi h people?
1 You can’ be oo ca e ul; 2; 3; 4; 5 Mos people can be us ed; P e e no o say
Q7.1 Please indica e o which ex en you ag ee wi h he ollowing s a emen s
S ongly disag ee; Somewha disag ee; Nei he ag ee, no disag ee; Somewha ag ee,
S ongly ag ee

34
- One should always ind ways o help o he s less o una e han onesel
- A pe son should always be conce ned abou he well-being o o he s
- I is bes no o ge oo in ol ed in aking ca e o o he people's needs
- People end o pay mo e a en ion o he well-being o o he s han hey should
Q8.1 Please wa ch he ollowing app oxima ely one-minu e ideo ca e ully and in i s en i e y,
and also make su e ha he sound is wo king well.
Q14.1 A la ge numbe o Sy ians a e li ing in e ugee camps in Tu key. When you hink abou
hei si ua ion, how conce ned a e you abou ...
No a all conce ned; A bi conce ned; Somewha conce ned; Qui e conce ned; Ve y conce ned
- hei sa e y?
- hei p o ision wi h basic ma e ial goods?
- hei heal h si ua ion?
- hei p ospec s o he u u e?
Q14.2 Please indica e how you ag ee wi h he ollowing s a emen s.
I Sy ians om Tu kish e ugee camps we e o come o Ge many o li e he e…
S ongly disag ee; Somewha disag ee; Nei he ag ee, no disag ee; Somewha ag ee;
S ongly ag ee
- hey would ake jobs away om he Ge man popula ion
- hey would, in he long un, bene i mo e om he wel a e s a e han hey con ibu e
- he secu i y si ua ion in Ge many would de e io a e
- hei alues and belie s would be a odds wi h hose o he Ge mans
Q15.1 Do you hink he Ge man go e nmen should inc ease inancial suppo o Tu kish
e ugee camps?
De ini ely no ; Ra he no ; Maybe; Ra he yes; De ini ely
Q16.1 Would you be in a o o Ge many aking in Sy ians om Tu kish e ugee camps?
De ini ely no ; Ra he no ; Maybe; Ra he yes; De ini ely
Q16.2 Would you be in a ou o you home own p o iding housing o Sy ians om Tu kish
e ugee camps?
De ini ely no ; Ra he no ; Maybe; Ra he yes; De ini ely
Q16.3 Would you be willing o p i a ely accommoda e Sy ians om Tu kish e ugee camps
o a ew days?
De ini ely no ; Ra he no ; Maybe; Ra he yes; De ini ely
Q17.1 You can become poli ically ac i e by signing a pe i ion. We will send he pe i ion o he
Commissione o he Fede al Go e nmen o Mig a ion, Re ugees, and In eg a ion. You
35
name will no be men ioned. Ins ead, we epo how many pa icipan s in ou s udy suppo ed
he espec i e pe i ions.
Would you like o sign he pe i ion below?
I would like o sign a pe i ion calling o mo e inancial suppo om he Ge man go e nmen
o Tu key's e ugee camps.; I do no wan o sign his pe i ion.
Q18.1 You can become poli ically ac i e by signing a pe i ion. We will send he pe i ion o he
Fede al Go e nmen Commissione o Mig a ion, Re ugees and In eg a ion. You name will
no be men ioned. Ins ead, we epo how many pa icipan s in ou s udy suppo ed he
espec i e pe i ions.
Would you like o sign he pe i ion below?
I would like o sign a pe i ion calling o he admission o Sy ians om Tu kish e ugee camps
o Ge many.; I do no wan o sign his pe i ion.
Q19.1 As a pa icipan in his su ey, you will be p o ided wi h an addi ional eu o. You can
choose how much o his amoun you wan o keep o you sel o how much you wan o
dona e o one o he ollowing o ganiza ions. 1) You can dona e up o 50 cen s o a ce i ied
in e na ional non-go e nmen al o ganiza ion (NGO) A ha wo ks o imp o e li ing
condi ions in Tu kish e ugee camps. 2) You can dona e up o 50 cen s o ano he ce i ied
in e na ional non-go e nmen al o ganiza ion (NGO) B ha is commi ed o hos ing
Sy ians om Tu kish e ugee camps in Ge many. Please indica e how many cen s you
would like o dona e o he espec i e o ganiza ion. No e ha you can dona e a maximum o
50 cen s pe o ganiza ion. The amoun s will be alloca ed o you o he named o ganiza ions
once he da a collec ion p ocess has been comple ed. We will in o m you o he names o he
o ganiza ions once you ha e comple ed he su ey. How many cen s would you like o dona e
a a ime?
O ganiza ion A: No dona ion; 5 cen s; 10 cen s; 15 cen s; 20 cen s; 25 cen s; 30 cen s; 35
cen s; 40 cen s; 45 cen s; 50 cen s
O ganiza ion B: No dona ion; 5 cen s; 10 cen s; 15 cen s; 20 cen s; 25 cen s; 30 cen s; 35
cen s; 40 cen s; 45 cen s; 50 cen s
Q20.1 Wha is you ela ionship s a us?
Single, ne e been ma ied; In a ela ionship, no ma ied; Ma ied, ema ied; Di o ced,
Single; Widowed, single; O he ; P e e no o say
Q20.2 We e you bo n in Ge many?
Yes, No, P e e no o say
Q20.3 In which coun y we e you bo n?
Q20.4 Was you mo he bo n in Ge many?
Yes, No, P e e no o say
Q20.5 In which coun y was you mo he bo n?
Q20.6 Was you a he bo n in Ge many?
Yes, No, P e e no o say
Q20.7 In which coun y was you a he bo n?
36
Q20.8 Ha e you e e li ed in ano he coun y o a leas six consecu i e mon hs?
Yes, No, P e e no o say
Q20.9 In which coun y(s) ha e you li ed?
Q21.1 You a e now eaching he end o he su ey. As announced, we would like o in o m
you o which o ganiza ions he dona ions will be o wa ded o:
O ganiza ion A: Médecins Sans F on iè es / O ganiza ion B: Amnes y In e na ional
You now ha e he oppo uni y o gi e eedback on his su ey.
Please no e ha we do no accep ha e ul and hu ul messages and will con ac Bilendi i
necessa y.
Thank you e y much.
37
Appendix B: Ques ionnai e o he ollow-up da a collec ion
In he ollowing he English ansla ion o he ques ionnai e o he second da a collec ion ound
is p in ed. Again, he su ey in he o iginal Ge man can be made a ailable upon eques .
Q1.1 Welcome!
You will be asked o ake pa in a su ey. This su ey is conduc ed by esea che s om
Maas ich Uni e si y. All he in o ma ion you ge in his su ey is e i ied.
The e a e no igh o w ong answe s. We a e in e es ed in knowing you pe sonal iews
abou you sel and he wo ld.
The e a e no igh o w ong answe s. We a e in e es ed in hea ing you pe sonal iews on socie y-
ela ed issues. Fo his pu pose, you will also be asked a one poin o w i e a sho ex o a ew
sen ences.
Pa icipa ion is olun a y. You can e use o pa icipa e in his su ey. I you s a he su ey,
you can lea e he s udy a any ime, in which case you will no ecei e any inancial
compensa ion. Apa om he ime you spend comple ing he su ey (10-12 minu es), he e is
no cos o you. You s ill ha e he op ion o wi hd awing you consen a e comple ing he
su ey by con ac ing P o . D . Melissa Siegel (melissa.siegel@maas ich uni e si y.nl).
You s udy- ela ed in o ma ion will be ea ed con iden ially. This s udy has been
app o ed by he E hics Re iew Commi ee o Inne Ci y Facul ies (ERCIC) a Maas ich
Uni e si y. The collec ion o da a is con iden ial. Da a analysis and epo ing a e anonymous.
You da a will be kep sepa a e om you Bilendi iden i ica ion numbe .
A e comple ing he s udy, you will ecei e inancial compensa ion o you ime. This is
done in acco dance wi h Bilendi's guidelines.
I you ha e any ques ions o commen s abou his su ey, please con ac P o . D . Melissa
Siegel. A he end o he su ey, you will ha e he oppo uni y o gi e us eedback on you
expe ience.
____________________
Decla a ion o consen
I ag ee ha my da a will be used o scien i ic pu poses.
I had su icien ime o decide i I wan ed o pa icipa e in he s udy. I know ha pa icipa ion
in he s udy is olun a y, and I know ha I can choose o cancel he su ey and wi hd aw my
consen a any ime. I do no ha e o gi e easons o such a decision. In his case, I will no
ecei e any inancial compensa ion.
I had he oppo uni y o connec wi h P o . D . Melissa Siegel, a esea che in ol ed in his
s udy, and ask ques ions.
I am awa e ha he da a is s o ed anonymously and he e o e only published anonymously.
I ag ee o pa icipa e
44
Appendix F: Desc ip i e Resul s
Table A2: Mean alues o e ugee a i udes by expe imen al condi ion
Ou come a iable Con ol g oup T ea men g oup
Sa e y Conce n 2.97 2.60
Ma e ial Conce n 3.17 2.80
Heal h Conce n 3.26 2.92
Fu u e Conce n 3.25 3.01
Jobs Th ea 2.48 2.60
Wel a e Th ea 3.39 3.40
Secu i y Th ea 3.26 3.40
Cul u al Th ea 3.45 3.55
Camps Pe i ion 0.29 0.21
Admission Pe i ion 0.23 0.23

45
Appendix G: Main e ec s wi hou con ols
Table A3: T ea men e ec s on humani a ian conce ns – no con ols
Sa e y Ma e ial Heal h Fu u e
T ea men -0.371
***
-0.369
***
-0.340
***
-0.240
**
[0.093] [0.096] [0.100] [0.101]
Con ol mean 2.974 3.170 3.264 3.253
Obse a ions 769 774 777 771
R-squa ed 0.020 0.019 0.015 0.007
S anda d e o s in b acke s. * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01
Table A4: T ea men e ec s on h ea pe cep ions – no con ols
Jobs Wel a e Secu i y Cul u e
T ea men 0.121 0.010 0.136 0.103
[0.080] [0.083] [0.086] [0.078]
Con ol mean 2.481 3.393 3.259 3.452
Obse a ions 807 807 807 807
R-squa ed 0.003 0.000 0.003 0.002
S anda d e o s in b acke s. * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01
Table A5: T ea men e ec s on policy p e e ences – no con ols
Camps Admission
T ea men -0.084
*
-0.002
[0.043] [0.042]
Con ol mean 0.292 0.232
Obse a ions 404 403
R-squa ed 0.009 0.000
S anda d e o s in b acke s. * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01
46
Appendix H: T ea men e ec s mode a ed by eal-li e immig a ion exposu e
Table A6: T ea men e ec s on humani a ian conce ns – by immig an s ocks
Sa e y Ma e ial Heal h Fu u e
T ea men -0.053 0.092 0.142 0.160
[0.251] [0.251] [0.265] [0.269]
T ea men *S ocks -1.891 -2.573
*
-2.793
*
-2.687
*
[1.371] [1.376] [1.450] [1.474]
Immig an S ocks 0.340 0.736 1.295 1.097
[1.136] [1.141] [1.203] [1.219]
Con ol mean 2.974 3.170 3.264 3.253
Obse a ions 611 614 614 610
R-squa ed 0.177 0.199 0.180 0.189
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us ,
s a e (Bundesland) o esidence. S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
Table A7: T ea men e ec s on h ea pe cep ions – by immig an s ocks
Jobs Wel a e Secu i y Cul u e
T ea men -0.127 -0.448
**
-0.411
*
-0.153
[0.217] [0.217] [0.215] [0.207]
T ea men *S ocks 1.280 2.798
**
3.651
***
1.675
[1.190] [1.192] [1.182] [1.135]
Immig an S ocks -1.354 -1.357 -2.592
***
-1.032
[0.987] [0.989] [0.981] [0.942]
Con ol mean 2.481 3.393 3.259 3.452
Obse a ions 631 631 631 631
R-squa ed 0.177 0.266 0.314 0.222
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us ,
s a e (Bundesland) o esidence. S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
47
Table A8: T ea men e ec s on policy p e e ences – by immig an s ocks
Camps Admission
T ea men 0.195
*
0.130
[0.115] [0.121]
T ea men *S ocks -1.657
***
-0.834
[0.633] [0.662]
Immig an S ocks 1.234
**
0.786
[0.535] [0.535]
Con ol mean 0.292 0.232
Obse a ions 316 315
R-squa ed 0.289 0.208
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us ,
s a e (Bundesland) o esidence. S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
Table A9: T ea men e ec s on humani a ian conce ns – by immig a ion lows
Sa e y Ma e ial Heal h Fu u e
T ea men -0.703
***
-0.686
***
-0.660
***
-0.690
***
[0.180] [0.180] [0.191] [0.193]
T ea men *Flows 0.441
**
0.459
**
0.440
**
0.527
**
[0.198] [0.199] [0.210] [0.213]
Immig a ion Flows -0.196 -0.197 -0.208 -0.335
*
[0.187] [0.185] [0.195] [0.198]
Con ol mean 2.974 3.170 3.264 3.253
Obse a ions 611 614 614 610
R-squa ed 0.180 0.201 0.181 0.194
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us ,
s a e (Bundesland) o esidence. S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
48
Table A10: T ea men e ec s on h ea pe cep ions – by immig a ion lows
Jobs Wel a e Secu i y Cul u e
T ea men 0.185 0.184 0.443
***
0.261
*
[0.155] [0.156] [0.155] [0.148]
T ea men *Flows -0.127 -0.215 -0.315
*
-0.175
[0.170] [0.170] [0.169] [0.162]
Immig a ion Flows 0.069 0.172 0.241 0.064
[0.160] [0.161] [0.160] [0.153]
Con ol mean 2.481 3.393 3.259 3.452
Obse a ions 631 631 631 631
R-squa ed 0.175 0.261 0.307 0.220
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us ,
s a e (Bundesland) o esidence. S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
Table A11: T ea men e ec s on policy p e e ences – by immig a ion lows
Camps Admission
T ea men -0.300
***
-0.101
[0.081] [0.090]
T ea men *Flows 0.288
***
0.118
[0.089] [0.101]
Immig a ion Flows -0.114 -0.075
[0.086] [0.088]
Con ol mean 0.292 0.232
Obse a ions 316 315
R-squa ed 0.296 0.206
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us ,
s a e (Bundesland) o esidence. S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
49
Table A12: T ea men e ec s on humani a ian conce ns – by immig an s ocks (Wes only)
Sa e y Ma e ial Heal h Fu u e
T ea men -0.567
*
-0.240 -0.249 -0.192
[0.307] [0.312] [0.330] [0.327]
T ea men *S ocks 0.719 -0.845 -0.764 -1.072
[1.611] [1.643] [1.733] [1.722]
Immig an S ocks -0.489 0.273 0.677 0.535
[1.237] [1.263] [1.334] [1.321]
Con ol mean 2.974 3.170 3.264 3.253
Obse a ions 501 504 503 502
R-squa ed 0.173 0.177 0.171 0.193
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us ,
s a e (Bundesland) o esidence. S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
Table A13: T ea men e ec s on h ea pe cep ions – by immig an s ocks (Wes only)
Jobs Wel a e Secu i y Cul u e
T ea men -0.284 -0.522
*
-0.541
**
-0.131
[0.267] [0.266] [0.263] [0.253]
T ea men *S ocks 2.147 2.886
**
4.293
***
1.600
[1.408] [1.401] [1.382] [1.332]
Immig an S ocks -1.390 -1.541 -2.965
***
-1.252
[1.083] [1.078] [1.063] [1.025]
Con ol mean 2.481 3.393 3.259 3.452
Obse a ions 515 515 515 515
R-squa ed 0.184 0.258 0.326 0.221
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us ,
s a e (Bundesland) o esidence. S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.

50
Table A14: T ea men e ec s on policy p e e ences – by immig an s ocks (Wes only)
Camps Admission
T ea men 0.029 0.069
[0.142] [0.145]
T ea men *S ocks -0.857 -0.614
[0.746] [0.758]
Immig an S ocks 0.913 0.884
[0.584] [0.575]
Con ol mean 0.292 0.232
Obse a ions 261 254
R-squa ed 0.303 0.208
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us ,
s a e (Bundesland) o esidence. S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
Table A15: T ea men e ec s on humani a ian conce ns – by immig a ion lows (Wes only)
Sa e y Ma e ial Heal h Fu u e
T ea men -0.531
**
-0.663
***
-0.538
**
-0.646
***
[0.233] [0.236] [0.250] [0.248]
T ea men *Flows 0.150 0.452 0.255 0.436
[0.342] [0.345] [0.364] [0.361]
Immig a ion Flows -0.217 -0.252 -0.081 -0.150
[0.256] [0.253] [0.268] [0.265]
Con ol mean 2.974 3.170 3.264 3.253
Obse a ions 501 504 503 502
R-squa ed 0.173 0.179 0.172 0.195
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us ,
s a e (Bundesland) o esidence. S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
51
Table A16: T ea men e ec s on h ea pe cep ions – by immig a ion lows (Wes only)
Jobs Wel a e Secu i y Cul u e
(1) (2) (3) (4)
T ea men 0.313 0.234 0.706
***
0.237
[0.201] [0.200] [0.198] [0.190]
T ea men *Flows -0.360 -0.407 -0.806
***
-0.143
[0.295] [0.294] [0.291] [0.279]
Immig a ion Flows 0.078 0.110 0.380
*
-0.168
[0.217] [0.216] [0.214] [0.205]
Con ol mean 2.481 3.393 3.259 3.452
Obse a ions 515 515 515 515
R-squa ed 0.183 0.255 0.322 0.222
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us ,
s a e (Bundesland) o esidence. S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
Table A17: T ea men e ec s on policy p e e ences – by immig a ion lows (Wes only)
Camps Admission
T ea men -0.179
*
-0.138
[0.105] [0.114]
T ea men *Flows 0.093 0.164
[0.153] [0.170]
Immig a ion Flows 0.026 -0.088
[0.125] [0.109]
Con ol mean 0.292 0.232
Obse a ions 261 254
R-squa ed 0.299 0.203
No es: Con ols include gende , age, ma i al s a us, uni e si y educa ion, income, being unemployed, being
Muslim, mig a ion backg ound, o e seas expe ience, humani a ian o ien a ion, poli ical o ien a ion, social us ,
s a e (Bundesland) o esidence. S anda d e o s in b acke s. Signi icance le els: * p < .1, ** p < .05, *** p < .01.
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