Perceiving Bad Wolves: The Relation Between Protective Policy Gaps, Immigration Policies, and Emotions

This study investigates how citizens’ perceptions of gaps between the importance they attach to protective policies and the extent to which these policies are provided by the state relate to political attitudes toward immigration (entry and cultural integration) and to emotional responses. Using quantitative analysis of 230 respondents from France, Portugal, and the United Kingdom – specifically individuals who associated through free evocation technique immigration-related words or expressions with protective policies – we assess the prevalence of this perceived gap and its attitudinal and emotional correlates. Our findings indicate that negative emotions such as disappointment, sadness, and discouragement increase, whereas positive emotions such as hope and gratitude decrease, as the perceived gap widens. In contrast, attitudes toward immigration did not yield statistically significant associations. Future research will extend the analysis to data from 11 countries to enhance robustness and will consider protective policies individually to examine the specific relations of distinct policy gaps with citizens’ attitudes and emotions.