Abstract
Based on two cross-sectional probability samples (Study 1: N = 1,382, Study 2: N = 1,587), we studied the interplay between positive and negative intergroup contact, different types of intergroup emotions (i.e., episodic intergroup emotions encountered during contact and more general chronic intergroup emotions), and outgroup behavior in the context of intergroup relations between non-immigrant Germans and foreigners living in Germany. In Study 1, we showed that positive and negative contact are related to specific episodic intergroup emotions (i.e., anger, fear and happiness). Results of Study 2 indicate an indirect effect of episodic intergroup emotions encountered during contact experiences on specific behavioral tendencies directed at outgroup members via more chronic situation-independent intergroup emotions. As expected, anger predicted approaching (discriminatory) behavioral tendencies (i.e., aggression) while fear predicted avoidance. The results extend the existing literature on intergroup contact and emotions by addressing positive and negative contact simultaneously and differentiating between situation-specific episodic and chronic intergroup emotions in predicting discriminatory behavioral tendencies.
Highlights
Intergroup contact theory can be considered as one of the most well-researched socialpsychological theories dealing with intergroup relations and the reduction of outgroup prejudice (e.g., Pettigrew and Tropp, 2011)
Negative contact experiences were reliably associated with all episodic intergroup emotions, as expected positively associated with anger (b = 0.84, SE = 0.059, p < 0.001, CI95% = 0.729, 0.959) and fear (b = 0.61, SE = 0.053, p < 0.001, CI95% = 0.503, 0.713), and negatively associated with happiness (b = −0.24, SE = 0.042, p < 0.001, CI95% = −0.318, −0.154)
Positive contact experiences were reliably associated with all episodic intergroup emotions; again as expected, negatively with anger (b = −0.08, SE = 0.035, p = 0.03, CI95% = −0.147, −0.007) and fear (b = −0.20, SE = 0.040, p < 0.001, CI95% = −0.281, −0.125), and positively
Summary
Intergroup contact theory can be considered as one of the most well-researched socialpsychological theories dealing with intergroup relations and the reduction of outgroup prejudice (e.g., Pettigrew and Tropp, 2011). Nor have intergroup emotions related to positive and negative intergroup contact been used to predict specific behavioral tendencies directed at outgroups (there is a substantial set of studies on the mediating role of anxiety in the contact-attitudes link, for an overview see Paolini et al, 2015). We sought to test (a) whether positive and negative contact experiences are related to different transient episodic emotions encountered during the contact experience (i.e., anger, fear, and happiness; Study 1), (b) how these episodic emotions are related to more chronic intergroup emotions (Paolini et al, 2006), and (c) how the latter are related to specific forms of discriminatory behavioral tendencies (i.e., aggression and avoidance; Study 2; for an overview see Figure 1)
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