University Presentation Showcase: Undergraduate Division
Differences in Acceptance of Refugees among College Students
Presenter Hometown
Beattyville, KY
Major
Psychology
Department
Psychology
Degree
Undergraduate
Mentor
Jonathan S. Gore
Mentor Department
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Schott, Lauren; Nolan, Sarah; and Bicknell, Leslie, "Differences in Acceptance of Refugees among College Students" (2023). University Presentation Showcase Event. 44.
https://encompass.eku.edu/swps/2023/undergraduate/44
Abstract
There are many refugees coming into the United States from a variety of countries, but it is unclear if Kentuckians perceive them differently based on the country of origin. The purpose of the current study was to examine how college students in Kentucky differentially perceive refugees from African, Middle Eastern and European countries. Participants were 148 undergraduate students, who responded to several questions about how receptive they are to refugees from the Congo, from Syria, and from Ukraine. Results showed that participants were willing to accept refugees from all three countries, but there was a split between whether they thought the refugees should be accepted with a strict legal process or not. This proposed legal requirement was most pronounced for Syrian refugees. These results carry implications for policies regarding how strict the legal process should be for refugees entering the United States, and how well they would be accepted by young voters.
Presentation format
Poster
Differences in Acceptance of Refugees among College Students
There are many refugees coming into the United States from a variety of countries, but it is unclear if Kentuckians perceive them differently based on the country of origin. The purpose of the current study was to examine how college students in Kentucky differentially perceive refugees from African, Middle Eastern and European countries. Participants were 148 undergraduate students, who responded to several questions about how receptive they are to refugees from the Congo, from Syria, and from Ukraine. Results showed that participants were willing to accept refugees from all three countries, but there was a split between whether they thought the refugees should be accepted with a strict legal process or not. This proposed legal requirement was most pronounced for Syrian refugees. These results carry implications for policies regarding how strict the legal process should be for refugees entering the United States, and how well they would be accepted by young voters.
