The Relationships Among Perception of Fairness, Trust of Society, and Inclusion of Immigrants: The Moderation Effect of Age

Background/purpose: Fairness generally refers to a value standard for determining right and wrong. Although fairness has existed throughout history, it has recently become the focus of broader social discussions. When people perceive unfairness, they may feel threatened, diminishing social trust. According to integrated threat theory, such distrust can lead to the rejection of immigrants due to perceived competition for limited resources, hindering immigrant inclusion. Prior studies suggest that age may moderate the relationships among perceived fairness (FA), trust in society (TR), and the inclusion of immigrants (IM).

Methods: Data from the 2023 Korean Social Integration Survey (n = 8,221) were analyzed using linear regression with age as a moderator, controlling for socio-demographics (Model 1: testing association between FA and IM; Model 2: examining the relationship between FA and TR; Model 3: assessing the influences of FA and TR; Model 4: testing the moderation effects of age). FA and TR were measured using 15 and 17 items, respectively, on 4-point Likert scales assessing perceived fairness of society and trust in various societal groups (Cronbach’s α = .89 and .91). IM was measured with a 10-point Likert scale. Age was categorized into 20–30s, 40–50s, and 60s and above. All continuous variables were mean-centered, and bootstrap analysis (2,000 resamples) tested mediation and moderation effects.

Results: In Model 1, FA was associated with IM (B = .02, p < .001). In Model 2, FA positively influenced TR (B = .74, p < .001). In Model 3, both FA (B = .01, p = .05) and TR (B = .01, p < .001) significantly influenced IM. In Model 4, the interaction terms were insignificant. Bootstrap analysis showed that the indirect effect (ACME = .01, p < .001), total effect (Total Effect = .02, p < .001), and mediated proportion (Mediated proportion = .54, p < .001) were significant, unlike the direct effect (ADE = .01, p = .06). Conditional mediation by age group revealed significant total effects in all groups. In the 40s-50s, both the indirect effect and mediated proportion were significant, indicating a clear mediating role of TR. Among the 60s and above, while the indirect effect was significant, the mediated proportion was not. In the 20s-30s, although the total effect was strong, both the indirect and direct effects were not significant, suggesting the path through TR may be less apparent in this group.

Conclusions/Implications: The findings of this study suggest the need for a tailored, age-specific approach to immigration acceptance policies. The influence of FA and TR on IM varied by age group. Specifically, while the mediating effect of TR was significant among individuals in their 40s–50s and those aged 60 and above, this pattern was not evident among those in their 20s–30s. This indicates that different age groups may hold distinct attitudes toward the IM. Thus, immigration policies should be formulated sensitively to generational differences, adopting tailored strategies that reflect the unique characteristics and needs of age groups.