The Communication Latency of Antisemitic Attitudes: An Experimental Study

The project of re-education not only had to fight the strong tradition of antisemitic and authoritarian resentments in Germany, but necessarily became an act of self-definition of liberal societies. Antisemitism research has elaborated its views on modern antisemitism since 1945 and has developed theoretical enhancements of classical approaches. This chapter outlines the theoretical connection between antisemitism theory and survey psychology. Although we can distinguish several theoretical approaches that attempt to explain modern antisemitism before 1945, most of them insisting on its peculiarity both in comparison to the older anti-Judaism and other forms of racism, the development of a comprehensive theory dealing with antisemitism after the Shoah is still in its infancy. A better measurement of antisemitic attitudes does not only offer a more valid picture of the extent and the consequences of today's antisemitism but also helps to investigate the causes of antisemitic attitudes in a more reliable way. Keywords: anti-Judaism; antisemitic attitudes; antisemitism; Germany; liberal societies; survey psychology