A second part of my research program focuses on how people think about society as it changes, in particular how they make sense of inter-group relations during the major demographic shifts. As the White American population shrinks, concern about “White extinction” are becoming increasingly salient in some quarters (9, 10). Via this “extinction threat” (or “collective existential threat”) mechanism, perceptions of White population decline can cause White Americans to become more politically conservative and racially biased (9). In addition, the psychological effects of growth in two other demographic groups isequally palpable: multi-racial individualsand Muslim, a demographic group with a biological undertone and a demographic group defined by symbolic boundaries, respectively. My research investigates the psychological foundations for people’s reactions to these changes and their downstream consequences. 
       Like the population decline of White Americans, the population growth of the latter two groups, can trigger complex and intriguing responses. As inter-racial marriages continue to grow, the racial phenotype of Americans may be perceived  to converge on one multi-racial “mega-race.” White Americans’ attitude toward this convergence is highly heterogeneous. I have identified many antecedents that explain the variance in convergence attitudes, including racial essentialism and the perceived convergence phenotype. With respect to the latter, the less “White” that “mega-race” is expected to look, the less White American find the idea of racial convergence palatable (11). Regarding Muslim population growth, my research finds hat Democrats and Republicans (and liberals and conservatives) have divergent reactions to it: whereas Republicans are dismayed and threatened by Muslim population growth, Democrats are unfazed and can even take a celebratory stance toward this prospect (12). As party identification and political orientation are found to both be consequences and moderators of the effects of demographic shift, my studies suggest that ongoing macro-level population change provides insight into the increasingly polarized political landscape in the U.S.



References
9. Bai, H., & Federico, C. M. (2019). Collective existential threat mediates White population 
decline’s effect on defensive reactions. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 
https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430219839763.
10. Bai, H., & Federico, C. White and Minority Demographic Shifts as an Antecedent of Intergroup 
Threat and Right-wing Extremism. (invited resubmission at Journal of Experimental Social 
Psychology)
11. Bai, H. On the Precipice of the “Mega-Race” America: Investigating Psychological Foundations 
of White Americans’ Attitudes toward Racial Convergence and the Role of Convergence 
Phenotype (under preparation)
12. Bai, H. Not Looking Forward to the Future: Perceived Muslim Population Growth Triggers 
Negative Affective Responses from Republicans more than Democrats (under 
review). Pre-print: https://psyarxiv.com/4v9cg/