Contextual effect of positive intergroup contact on outgroup prejudice

Abstract

We assessed evidence for a contextual effect of positive intergroup contact, whereby the effect of intergroup contact between social contexts (the between-level effect) on outgroup prejudice is greater than the effect of individual-level contact within contexts (the within-level effect). Across seven large-scale surveys (five cross-sectional and two longitudinal), using multilevel analyses, we found a reliable contextual effect. This effect was found in multiple countries, operationalizing context at multiple levels (regions, districts, and neighborhoods), and with and without controlling for a range of demographic and context variables. In four studies (three cross-sectional and one longitudinal) we showed that the association between context-level contact and prejudice was largely mediated by more tolerant norms. In social contexts where positive contact with outgroups was more commonplace, norms supported such positive interactions between members of different groups. Thus, positive contact reduces prejudice on a macrolevel, whereby people are influenced by the behavior of others in their social context, not merely on a microscale, via individuals' direct experience of positive contact with outgroup members. These findings reinforce the view that contact has a significant role to play in prejudice reduction, and has great policy potential as a means to improve intergroup relations, because it can simultaneously impact large numbers of people. diversity | trust | social norms | multilevel analysis

Intra-Campaign Changes in Voting Preferences: The Impact of Media and Party Communication

“…Messages delivered personally are harder to ignore, as a connection between the provider and the receiver of the information is established (Arceneaux, 2009; Niven, 2004). Interpersonal contact may also reduce prejudice (Christ et al, 2014) against parties that citizens had not initially considered as a viable option. Furthermore, interpersonal contact is more likely to motivate citizens to process and consciously evaluate information, i.e., systematic processing (Chong & Druckman, 2007; Katz, 1957).…”

In-group defense, out-group aggression, and coordination failures in intergroup conflict

“…From tribal warfare in the Holocene to Viking raids in medieval times, to terrorist attacks in current times, small groups of often no more than a handful of individuals organize for collective violence and aggression. Individuals within such groups contribute, at sometimes exceedingly high personal cost, to their group's capacity to fight other groups (1)(2)(3)(4)(5), and in doing so, individuals and their groups waste resources and people and create imprints on collective memories that affect intergroup relations for generations to come (6)(7)(8)(9)(10).…”

“…What cannot be derived from these setups, however, is whether individuals selfsacrifice to (i) defend their in-group against out-group aggression; (ii) to aggressively exploit and subordinate the out-group; or (iii) because of some combination of both reasons (5,9,10,22,23). In addition, it is unclear how the willingness to defend the in-group relates to the willingness to aggress out-groups.…”

Civilised Communities

“…The authors of the study suggest that simply observing diverse individuals interacting positively with each other has the potential to 'rub off' on others. They term this 'passive tolerance' and liken it to passive smoking, whereby individuals in diverse communities cannot avoid being influenced by positive social interaction just like those who are surrounded by smokers cannot avoid passively taking in smoke (Christ et al, 2014). Such findings are in line with Allport's (1958) contact theory that proposes prejudice and intolerance are reduced the more individuals come into contact with members of different ethnic and cultural groups.…”

“…This can help explain the discrepancy between negative sociotropic, but positive egotropic, attitudes. It also shows the importance of encouraging contact between diverse groups and how living in diverse areas has the potential to result in 'passive tolerance' (Christ et al, 2014).…”