Professor Peter Howley is quoted in the New York Times

On 27 April, Professor Peter Howley, a professor of economics and behavioural science, was quoted in an article published by The New York Times.

The article titled ‘Where Does All That Hate We Feel Come From?’ is a guest essay written by Thomas Edsall, in which he discusses what new research in psychology and political science reveals about how deep our anxieties about others truly lie.

Professor Howley commented on the crucial role of closed and open-mindedness, saying:

Openness is strongly correlated with immigration attitudes, and our own research demonstrates how openness strongly moderates the relationship between inflows of migrants into one's local area and the self-reported well-being of existing residents.

“This openness captures the degree to which people are attracted by novel stimuli and entails a preference for variety and new experiences. For people comparatively low on openness, demographic change and all it entails from exposure to new cuisine, music and amenities may be a daunting prospect but for people with high scores on openness, demographic change offers the potential for exciting new experiences.”

You can read Professor Howley’s comments, along with the full article, on The New York Times website.