The Relationship Between the Need for Cognitive Closure, Stereotyped In-group and the Out-group Morality, and Prejudice towards the Out-group

several studies demonstrated that a high need for cognitive closure (NFC) is associated with higher prejudice towards the out-group. this study aims to investigate how this effect can be moderated by attributions of morality to the in-group and the out-group. a questionnaire was administered to 725 participants. the results showed a positive relationship between NFC and prejudice when the in-group was evaluated as more moral than the out-group. this relationship was weaker when the out-group was evaluated as more moral than the in-group. these findings implicated that it is possible to reduce prejudice in individuals with high NFC by manipulating perceptions of in-group and out-group morality.