A Cook's Tour Abroad: Long‐Term Effects of Intergroup Contact on Positive Outgroup Attitudes

Abstract

This mixed‐methods, longitudinal study documents the short‐ and long‐term impact of a cook's tour of Vietnam by 14 U.S. chef students. Over 3 weeks, travelers engaged in myriad intergroup interactions to experience Vietnam's cuisine and culture, exemplifying a positive intergroup orientation consistent with allophilia and xenophilia. Measures included a pretrip questionnaire, daily journal, and posttrip questionnaire, as well as participant observation. Short‐term attitude change included significant increases in positive affect toward the Vietnamese, negative stereotypes, and intergroup understanding. Nearly 10 years later, the author interviewed 10 of the original trip participants. Consistent with allophilia theory, participants expressed continued affection, kinship, and enthusiasm toward the Vietnamese people and remained motivated to engage the Vietnamese culture and cuisine. Additional evidence of allophilic specificity, openness to experience, and deprovincialism is also discussed.