`Where the rubber hits the road’ en route to inter‐group harmony: Examining contact intentions and contact behaviour under meta‐stereotype threat

Abstract

Although inter-group contact reduces prejudice, intra-group contact is most typically preferred. Understanding factors contributing to out-group avoidance, therefore, is imperative. Unlike previous correlational studies, other-stereotype (out-group is biased) and meta-stereotype (out-group sees one's in-group as biased) information was manipulated in an inter-group contact setting, at the personal (you/partner) or group (in-group/out-group) level. Whites under threat generally indicated positive expectations and intentions to approach Black interaction partners. However, at the behavioural level, personal meta-stereotype manipulations (your partner thinks you are biased) generated out-group avoidance several times stronger than in the other threat conditions. Implications for the development of prejudice interventions are discussed within an aversive racism framework.