Abstract

In relation to the persistence of anti-Semitic attitudes in European societies, the present work examines the content of the social perception of Jews. In the research the freely produced ideas/thoughts and emotions towards the Jews (in Italy, in the Shoah, in Israel) were monitored. Pictures of three scenarios were submitted to different samples of young people and adults; their reactions to emotional words were registered. The results are discussed in reference to the stereotype content model and to the theory of stereotypes differentiation: while the «Jews in Italy» scenario evokes a differentiated representation moving to the positive pole of the evaluation continuum and suggesting an admiration prejudice, that referring to «Jews in the Shoah» evokes an ambivalent, paternalistic less differentiated representation. Lastly, the stimulus «Jews in Israel» evokes an ambivalent perception bordering on envious prejudice.