What mitigates the relationship between need for cognitive closure and prejudice against migrants? Addressing this question, we explored how national identification, endorsing binding moral foundations and the perception of threat mediate the relationship between need for cognitive closure and prejudice against migrants in Malta. It was hypothesized that individuals with a high need for cognitive closure are more prone to identify with being Maltese and more probable to endorse binding moral foundations and perceive high threat from migrants, leading to a more prejudiced attitude towards migrants living in Malta. Two hundred and twenty‐two individuals participated in this quantitative study. Results from this study showed that national identification, binding moral foundations and perceived threat mediate the relationship between need for cognitive closure and prejudice against migrants. The implications of the findings for theories about how need for cognitive closure contributes to increased prejudiced attitude in native population is discussed. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

What mitigates prejudice against migrants in situations of uncertainty? Addressing this question, we explored how individuals with greater COVID-19 concern perceive migrants as a greater threat and show prejudice against them, indirectly through the mechanism of need for cognitive closure and binding moral foundations. This study was conducted in two European countries: Malta and Italy. Six hundred and seventy-six individuals participated in this quantitative study (Malta: N = 204; Italy N = 472). Results from this study showed that the need for cognitive closure and binding moral foundations mediate the relationship between COVID-19 concern and prejudice against migrants in both countries. When testing the three binding moral foundations (loyalty, authority, and purity), the authority foundation seems to be the most consistent predictor. The implications of the findings contribute to theories about how situational uncertainty caused by COVID-19, together with the need for epistemic certainty and binding morality, contribute to increased prejudiced attitudes against migrants.

In this study we explore how endorsing binding moral foundations and the perception of realistic and symbolic threat mediate the relationship between need for cognitive closure (NCC) and prejudice against migrants in Italy. We hypothesized that individuals with a high NCC are more prone to endorse binding moral foundations and also to perceive high realistic and symbolic threats and, consequently, they are more prejudiced against migrants. Data were collected through a questionnaire (N = 351). Results explain the relationship between need for cognitive closure and prejudice against migrants through a complex sequence of mediation effects of binding moral foundations and perceived threats.