People who believe human differences are biologically based are less likely to accept Asian immigrants as Australian, according to new University of Melbourne research.

And conversely, migrants who hold similar beliefs are also less likely to adopt an Australian identity and integrate into Australian society.

The research will be published in 2008 in the Asian Journal of Social Psychology.

Researchers from the University’s School of Behavioural Science surveyed 137 Australian-born people about their attitudes towards Asian immigration. They also surveyed 101 migrants about their beliefs and experiences.

Dr Brock Bastian, who conducted the work with Associate Professor Nick Haslam, said people who believed human nature was shaped by genetics rather than environment or experience were less accepting of Asian immigrants.

Dr Bastian said this research is important because it indicates that targeting these beliefs, both in host nations and among immigrant groups, could improve the migration experience.

“Knowing what underpins the beliefs that can encourage prejudice, or conversely lead to people feeling they need to remain separate from their new society will help us recognize there is a problem and we can tackle it. ”

Dr Bastian said people who held a biological view of human differences tend to view Asian immigrants as less desirable than people who held other views.

“They viewed Asian immigrants as more similar to each other and less similar to themselves.

“They held more negative feelings towards the group and believed that people from Asian backgrounds would always remain different from other Australians.

“They were more likely to believe it was immigrants’ responsibility to fit in with Australian society, rather than for that society to provide support and services to help them integrate.

“They also preferred to maintain their distance from immigrants, indicating that neither they nor the immigrant had any responsibility for establishing friendships.”

On the reverse side of the research, migrants who strongly believed that biology underpinned human nature were less likely to adopt an Australian identity but just as likely to lose their ethnic identity.

“Second generation migrants who are no longer tied to their traditional ethnic identities but do not strongly identify with the host culture are likely to experience uncertainty and alienation which can make extremist groups appealing,’’ Dr Bastian said.

Dr Bastian said the belief that biology determined nature was being fuelled by the current scientific focus on genetics and behaviour.

“This study suggests that a prevalence of biological explanations can increase the likelihood of a migrant being marginalized during their time in a new country,’’ he says.

“It also shows that the extent to which these beliefs are held by people in the host country will influence the degree of prejudice migrants’ experience, affecting the ease with which they can integrate.

“We hope this research will contribute to making integration easier.”