Xenophobia, defined as negative attitudes and prejudice toward individuals perceived as foreign or different, is recognized as a serious social issue that negatively affects social cohesion, intercultural relations, and individuals' psychological and physical well-being. The present study aimed to examine this psychosocial problem at the individual level by investigating the effects of personal values and cognitive rigidity on xenophobic attitudes.
The research sample consisted of 312 adults, between the ages of 18 and 59. Participants completed Xenophobia Scale, Portrait Values Scale and Need for Cognitive Closure Scale.
Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted in three steps. In the first step, age was entered and found non-significant (F(1,310)= 2.13, p= .15, R²= .02), indicating a limited effect on xenophobic attitudes. In the second step, Schwartz's personal values were added, increasing the explained variance to 32% (F(11,299)= 16.84, p< .001; ΔR²= .31, p< .001). Positive predictors included conformity (β= .21, p< .01), security (β= .19, p < .01), and tradition (β= .15, p< .05), whereas negative predictors were universalism (β= -.26, p< .001) and self-direction (β = -.20, p< .01). In the third step, cognitive rigidity was added, raising the explained variance to 39% (F(12,298)= 18.92, p< .001; ΔR²= .07, p< .001). In the final model, the strongest positive predictors were cognitive rigidity (β= .38, p< .001), conformity (β= .20, p< .01), and security (β= .17, p< .01), while universalism (β= -.27, p< .001) and self-direction (β= -.18, p< .01) remained negative predictors.
These findings indicate that conversation values and cognitive rigidity increase xenophobic attitudes, whereas universalism and self-direction reduce them. The results highlight the strategic importance of intercultural awareness programs and value-based interventions, supported by strategies that enhance cognitive flexibility, for reducing xenophobic tendencies.