A temporally integrated model of intergroup contact and threat (TIMICAT)

Abstract

Drawing on intergroup contact theory and intergroup threat theory, this chapter outlines the interplay of contact and threat in intergroup relations over time and their interactive effects on prejudice. We propose the Temporally Integrated Model of Intergroup Contact and Threat (TIMICAT), which holds that both (positive or negative, direct or indirect) contact and (different types of) threat can vary over time and in relation to one another. The effects of contact and threat on prejudice may be cumulative and additive and this trajectory can be disrupted by salient changes in any temporal element. TIMICAT systematically structures the intergroup context in terms of the temporal frame for contact and threats (none, past, continuous, discrete, multiple, future). We then provide initial empirical evidence for TIMICAT, using data from majority and minority group perspectives, from different countries. Moreover, a two-year longitudinal study questions the causal direction proposed by intergroup threat theory. Finally, a quasi-experimental study found that threat cannot only be a mediator in the contact-prejudice relationship, but that threat and contact can operate in parallel as independent influences on prejudice. In conclusion, we propose the TIMICAT framework as a novel way to conceptualize the contact-threat-prejudice links and look forward to seeing more research that examines these variables in a temporal and interactive framework.