The link between individual predispositions and misperceptions about immigrants: Insights from Denmark

Misperceptions about immigration and immigrants are widespread throughout the Western world. A common explanation for this prevalence, relying on motivated reasoning theory, stresses the role of predispositions—such as beliefs, attitudes, and biases—in shaping misperceptions. The aim of this article is to refine this predominant notion by using original survey data collected in Denmark (n = 2015), offering a more accurate and valid measurement of misperceptions. The results reveal a rather homogeneous pattern of misperceptions: negative misperceptions are prevalent not only among those with negative attitudes towards immigration but also among those with pro-immigration attitudes. Moreover, we find that self-reported knowledge has a limited influence on patterns of misperceptions. The article discusses the theoretical implications of these findings and outlines how future research can benefit from directing more attention to dynamics in party-political debates to capture both heterogeneous and homogeneous patterns of misperceptions.