Competent in the North, passionate in the South Stereotypes and prejudices between northern and southern Italy

Notwithstanding a historical juxtaposition, over the last fifty years few psychologists have studied the stereotypes and prejudices existing between Northern and Southern Italians. The aim of this research was to examine and monitor the stereotypes associated by participants from Northern and Southern Italy in regard to both Northerners and Southerners. Moreover, the influence of attributions of a stereotypical image on prejudicial attitudes and the moderating effect of the social dominance orientation and ideological affiliation on this relationship were examined. Our results showed that adjectives associated to Northern and Southern Italians replicate those identified in classical studies. Moreover, as compared with previous studies, our results indicated the influence of attributions of a traditional image to Southerners in regard to prejudicial attitudes against them and a moderating effect of SDO.