How does pro-attitudinal information improve intergroup relations? Unraveling the underlying mechanism of American and Chinese people’s mutual attitudes

Abstract

ABSTRACT Though media exposure research typically links pro-attitudinal information with ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation, the empirical evidence to date is inconclusive. Can attitude-consistent media diminish prepositions and ease intergroup tensions? If so, what type of like-minded media content should ingroups be exposed to? Rather than approaching from the perspective of the morality dimension, which has been well-researched, this study took the US and China’s public attitudes toward each other as a case study, to examine the link between pro-attitudinal media exposure of outgroups’ “competency” dimension and attitudes toward outgroups. Results indicate that Americans and Chinese who were exposed to pro-attitudinal media stimulus depicting an outgroup’s lack of competency show more outgroup favoritism, and outgroup empathy mediates the media effects on outgroup attitudes. Theoretical underpinnings using social comparison, the underdog effect, and the pratfall effect are discussed, along with practical implications to improve intergroup relations, especially international relations, in the aftermath of COVID-19 when intergroup tensions may have been exacerbated.