Americans: Barbarians or allies?

According to the image theory (Alexander et al., 1999; Herrmann, 1985), perceptions relative to the strategic relations betweennations (goal compatibility; relative power; and relative status, namely culture) generate differential outgroup stereotypes (e.g., enemy, ally). In this study, the perceptions Italians have of Americans were revealed, using a direct (Likert-type scale) and an indirect technique (semantic differential used as an indirect measure). The images of ally, barbarian, imperialist and enemy were considered, and one image was added: that of father. Moreover, the effects of the political orientation and identification with the national ingroup were evaluated. It was hypothesized that right-wing participants (N=92, students of Psychology) would adopt the images of father and ally; left-wing participants (N=102, students of Psychology) should instead use the images of barbarian, imperialist and enemy. Identification with the Italian ingroup should make salient the help Americans gave in the liberation from fascism, and the long collaboration between Italy and the United States; it was, therefore, hypothesized that, in right-wing participants, identification positively influences the images of father and ally. Findings, obtained with the direct technique, indicated that rightwing participants only used the image of ally, whereas left-wing participants saw Americans as: barbarians, imperialists, enemies. The application of the indirect technique showed, for right-wing participants, a positive correlation of Americans with ally and father; left-wingparticipants associated Americans with imperialist, barbarian andenemy. Finally, identification influences, in the right-wing, theperceptions of outgroup as ally and father.