Abstract
Contact is a reliable method of prejudice reduction. However, individuals higher in prejudice are less interested in contact with diverse groups. This research investigates a novel method of encouraging interest in contact, particularly for those lower in the personality trait of Openness/Intellect, who tend to be higher in prejudice. Although long-term traits are relatively stable, momentary personality states show considerable within-person variation, and can be manipulated. In two experimental studies (total N = 687), we tested whether inducing higher state Openness would affect interest in contact. In Study 1, those lower in trait Openness/Intellect showed a positive indirect effect of condition on two outcome measures, via greater state Openness. In a larger sample with lower trait Openness/Intellect (Study 2), the indirect effect on the first outcome was replicated, regardless of disposition. The findings suggest that experiencing open states more frequently could encourage contact and lead to eventual reductions in prejudice.
Highlights
The question of how to improve intergroup relations and reduce prejudice has received considerable research attention over recent decades
It was planned that if outliers (±3 SDs from the mean) were present per condition for the primary dependent variables (DVs): state Openness and willingness to engage in diverse contact; or the event ratings of positivity and novelty, the analyses would be performed both with and without these outliers
It was preregistered that if outliers (±3 SDs from the mean) were present per condition for the primary DVs: state Openness and willingness to engage in diverse contact; or the event ratings of positivity and novelty, the analyses would be performed with and without these outliers
Summary
The question of how to improve intergroup relations and reduce prejudice has received considerable research attention over recent decades. Even though intergroup contact may be effective for individuals higher in prejudice, they are among the least willing to engage in contact outside the laboratory (Hodson, 2011; Ron et al, 2017). This problem presents a serious barrier to the potential of contact to reduce prejudice. This reluctance to engage in contact may be exacerbated by the fact that individuals higher in authoritarianism and prejudice tend to live in less diverse neighborhoods (Pettigrew, 2008), thereby further reducing their opportunities for contact. There is, a relatively small number of studies that provide support for the success of contact interventions with non-student adults in naturalistic settings
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