Interindividual differences in personality, ideological orientations (authoritarianism, social dominance orientation), empathy and disgust sensitivity explain a substantial proportion of the variance in prejudice, a major driver of intergroup conflict. In this chapter, we present research findings on these relationships and point out the limits of the explanatory power of interindividual differences, which often condition prejudice in an interaction with situational characteristics of the social context. We next review research on the socialization of prejudice, personality traits, empathy and ideological attitudes. We describe the Dual Process Motivational Model, an integrative approach that builds a bridge between personality-theoretical and situational explanatory models and links them to socialization-theoretical assumptions and present current research findings on this. We end with a conclusion in which we discuss applied implications for reducing intergroup conflict.
