Strengthening Purity: Moral Purity as a Mediator of Direct and Extended Cross-Group Friendships on Sexual Prejudice

Abstract

The present research investigated whether enhanced perceptions of moral purity drive the effects of intergroup cross-group friendships on the intentions to interact with homosexuals. High-school students (N = 639) reported their direct and extended cross-group friendships with homosexuals as well as their beliefs regarding the moral character of the sexual minority. Participants further reported their desire to interact with homosexuals in the future. Results showed that both face-to-face encounters and extended contact with homosexuals increased their perceived moral purity, which in turn fostered more positive behavioral intentions. Results further revealed the specific role of moral purity in this sense, as differential perceptions along other moral domains (autonomy and community) had no mediation effects on behavioral tendencies toward homosexuals. The importance of these findings for improving intergroup relations is discussed, together with the importance of integrating research on intergroup contact and morality.

Outgroup morality perceptions mediate secondary transfer effects from direct and extended contact: Evidence from majority and minority group members

“…First, results are based on correlational evidence, as is the case with much of the STE literature. However, although this is the first study to test outgroup morality perceptions as the mediating mechanism for the STE, the prediction and findings are in line with previous cross-sectional evidence on outgroup morality as a mediator of contact effects (Brambilla, Hewstone, et al, 2013; Vezzali et al, 2017), as well as with longitudinal (Eller & Abrams, 2004; Tausch et al, 2010; van Laar et al, 2005) and experimental (Shook et al, 2016) evidence. In order to better understand the underlying psychological processes of the STE, future research needs to examine the independent STEs for direct and extended contact in longitudinal and experimental studies.…”

“…Replicating scarce evidence on direct (Brambilla, Hewstone, et al, 2013; Vezzali et al, 2017) and extended contact (Vezzali et al, 2017), effects of both contact forms on outgroup attitudes (towards the primary outgroup) were mediated by outgroup morality perceptions. More relevant to the present research, direct and extended contact effects were mediated primarily by morality perceptions of the primary outgroup, and in turn morality perceptions of the secondary and attitudes towards the primary outgroup.…”

“…Importantly, only outgroup morality mediated the effect of contact on social change intentions. Vezzali, Brambilla, Giovannini, and Colucci (2017) found that direct and extended cross-group friendships of Italian high-school students with homosexuals were associated with greater intentions to interact with homosexuals. This effect of contact on sexual prejudice was mediated by a component of morality, and specifically by higher perceived moral purity of homosexuals.…”

“… 1. Measures were part of a larger dataset. Other measures of the dataset, not included in the present article, were used to test other types of models and have been published in Vezzali et al (2017). …”

Conditional secondary transfer effect: The moderating role of moral credentials and prejudice

“…Research on contact and morality has been largely unconnected (for exceptions, see Brambilla, Hewstone, & Colucci, 2013;Vezzali et al, 2017Vezzali et al, , 2019. In this study, we focus on moral licensing (Monin & Miller, 2001).…”