Effects Of Intergroup Contact Research Articles

Boundary Spanners' Identification, Intergroup Contact, and Effective Intergroup Relations

We examined the relationship between group boundary spanners' work group identification and effective (i. E., harmonious and productive) intergroup relations in 53 work groups in five health care organizations. The data suggest this relationship was moderated by boundary spanners' levels of organizational identification, thus supporting a dual identity model. Limited support was found for the moderating effect of intergroup contact. Finally, if boundary spanners displayed frequent intergroup contact and identified highly with their organization, group identification was most strongly related to effective intergroup relations.

The Family and Communication Dynamics of Group Salience

Group salience is a key variable both in influencing quality of intergroup contact and in moderating the effects of intergroup contact on prejudicial attitudes. Two studies uncovered the communicative dimensions associated with evaluations of age salience in the grandparent-grandchild relationship, and we investigated the extent to which communication dimensions predicted various measures of salience, relational closeness, and attitudes concerning aging. Communication phenomena that were positively correlated with measures of age salience were negatively related to relational closeness. Only 1 communication measure (grandparents talking about the past) moderated the relationship between quality of contact with grandparent and attitudes toward older people. Specific communicative dimensions emerged that warrant further investigation in this and other intergroup contexts.

Effects of Intergroup Contact on Attitudes of Chinese Urban Residents to Migrant Workers

One consequence of China's marketisation has been the emergence of a 'floating population'-rural Chinese who migrate to China's cities to work. Many urbanites have negative attitudes towards such migrants. To understand how these negative attitudes might be ameliorated, the paper employs Allport's influential contact hypothesis to investigate whether urbanite-migrant friendships affect attitudes. More negative attitudes were observed among males and older urbanites. There was no effect of simply knowing a migrant, supporting Allport's thesis that non-intimate contact is not sufficient to affect attitudes. Friendship alone did not influence attitudes, but interaction effects were detected between having migrant friends and each of age, income and education. Negative attitudes were reduced among urbanites in older, higher-income and higher-education groups if they had a migrant friend.

Relationships Between Intergroup Contact and Prejudice Among Minority and Majority Status Groups

Considerable research has shown that greater intergroup contact corresponds with lower intergroup prejudice, yet little is known regarding how the relationships between contact and prejudice may vary for members of minority and majority status groups. The present research examined differences in contact-prejudice relationships among members of minority and majority status groups, using data from a larger meta-analytic study of the effects of intergroup contact. Results indicate that the relationships between contact and prejudice tend to be weaker among members of minority status groups than among members of majority status groups. Moreover, establishing Allport's (1954) proposed conditions for optimal intergroup contact significantly predicts stronger contact-prejudice relationships among members of majority status groups, but not among members of minority status groups. Implications of these findings for future research on contact between minority and majority status groups are discussed.

The Structure of Attitudes Toward Non-Western Immigrant Groups: Second-Order Factor Analysis of Attitudes among Norwegian Adolescents

The study investigated the structure of outgroup attitudes among adolescents from the majority group in Norway ( N > 1100), using confirmatory factor analysis. Five non-Western immigrant groups were used as attitude objects. The analysis found that attitudes toward the five outgroups could be seen as dependent on two strongly correlated second-order factors. Two alternative models of second-order factors gained support, while the structure of outgroup attitudes appeared more stable across subsamples than anticipated. The discussion concludes that attitudes toward different ethnic outgroups will tend to be interrelated; probably dependent on both higher-order categories of outgroups as well as complex effects of intergroup contact. The paper addresses several hypotheses that may be investigated in future research.

Differential Relationships Between Intergroup Contact and Affective and Cognitive Dimensions of Prejudice

Research on affective dimensions of intergroup relationships suggests that positive effects of intergroup contact can generalize through establishing affective ties with outgroup members. However, research on cognitive dimensions emphasizes that it is often difficult to generalize positive contact outcomes. In this research, the authors examine whether affective and cognitive dimensions of prejudice bear different relationships to intergroup contact. Using data from a larger meta-analysis of contact effects, Study 1 demonstrates that affective indicators of prejudice typically yield stronger, inverse contact-prejudice relationships than such cognitive indicators as stereotypes. Study 2 replicates these trends in a survey study using multiple indicators of affective and cognitive dimensions of prejudice. Study 2 also shows significant, inverse relationships between contact and affective prejudice when contact is assessed either as number of outgroup friends or intergroup closeness. Together, these results suggest that affective dimensions of intergroup relationships are especially critical for understanding the nature of contact-prejudice effects.

Effects of Intergroup Contact and Political Predispositions on Prejudice: Role of Intergroup Emotions

Two broad distal causes of prejudice are past history of intergroup contact and general political predispositions. Two studies investigate the extent to which these effects are mediated by emotions directed at the outgroup, as proposed by Intergroup Emotions Theory (Smith, 1993). In both studies, past intergroup contact and Social Dominance Orientation predict prejudice. as measured either by a feeling thermometer or the Modern Racism Scale. Furthermore, for both studies these effects are significantly mediated by intergroup emotions, above and beyond measures of stereotypes (stereotype endorsement in Study 1 and stereotype knowledge in Study 2) that were entered as alternative potential mediators. Stereotype endorsement also plays a significant mediational role in one case. Increased attention to the role of emotions in intergroup relations, including in the mediation of such powerful and well-known effects as those of intergroup contact and political predispositions, appears to be warranted.

Generalization of positive attitude as a function of subgroup and superordinate group identifications in intergroup contact

AbstractThe role of category salience in mediating the effects of intergroup contact was examined. One theoretical model proposes that some psychological salience of subgroup categories is necessary to facilitate the generalization of attitude change beyond the immediate contact situation. Another argues that a re‐categorization of the subgroups into a new superordinate category is more beneficial, whilst a third suggests that de‐categorizing the situation entirely is optimal. An alternative view, which combines the first two models, proposes a Dual Identity strategy (simultaneous high superordinate and high subgroup categorization) as an important mediator of the relationship between contact variables and intergroup attitudes. In the study, participants (N = 114) undertook a cooperative intergroup task under four conditions of category salience: ‘subgroup’, ‘superordinate’, ‘superordinate and subgroup’, and ‘no group salience’. Evaluative ratings and symbolic reward allocations both for the groups encountered (contact) and those outside the situation (generalization) provided measures of intergroup bias. Bias within the contact situation was mainly eliminated in all conditions. However, on the more generalized bias measures, only the ‘superordinate’ and ‘superordinate and subgroup’ (Dual Identity strategy) conditions maintained this low level; in the other two conditions intergroup bias resurfaced. A combination of the first two models is proposed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Guanxi: A Nesting of Groups

L'article a pour but de decrire les differents liens qui peuvent se creer entre differents groupes. Ceux-ci peuvent se faire lors d'un besoin de protection, le groupe protecteur se faisant payer par des cadeaux. Le tissage de liens par des cadeaux se fait dans l'ensemble de la societe chinoise. Ce sont ces liens qui ont permis a certains groupes de survivre lors de crises. Mais ces liens peuvent aboutir a des organisations mafieuses.

Effects of contact and personality on intergroup attitudes of different professionals

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of intergroup contact, personality, and demographic characteristics on the intergroup attitudes of police officers, medical doctors and nurses (N=421; 274 females, 147 males). Following the contact hypothesis, intergroup contact in and of itself was not expected to be sufficient for reducing intergroup prejudice, especially in unequal contacts between professionals and their clients. It was argued that the quality of contact required for the improvement of intergroup attitudes is not equal status or emotional closeness of the participants, but rather that of individuation and familiarity of the outgroup member. The results showed that both level of authoritarianism and individuation of an outgroup member affected intergroup attitudes across all types of contact. For authoritarianism, this result did not hold separately for males, but the individuation effect was very stable; those who knew an outgroup member only superficially held more negative intergroup attitudes than those who knew him or her well, even in unequal and non-voluntary contacts, and even when controlling for authoritarianism, gender, education and professional field. The effect was non-significant in voluntary contacts. No differences in intergroup attitudes were found between males and females or between the professional groups among males after controlling for authoritarianism. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Guanxi: A Nesting of Groups

Guanxi: A Nesting of Groups

Inter-ethnic preferences and ethnic hierarchies in the former soviet union

One-thousand two-hundred and ninety university students from twenty-seven ethnic⧹national groups across six locations in the former Soviet Union (Novopolotsk in Byelorussia, Kharkov in the Ukraine, Moscow and Nizniy Novgorod in Russia, Ufa in the Bashkir Autonomous Republic and Ulan-Ude in the Buryat Autonomous Republic) participated in 1991–1992 in a survey investigating the existence of ingroup preference in inter-ethnic contact, ingroup consensus on an ethnic hierarchy of outgroups and the measure of intergroup consensus on an ethnic hierarchy among the ethnic⧹national groups in each location. Hypotheses about ingroup preference, ethnic hierarchies and consensus were derived from realistic group conflict theory, social identity theory and from the assumption that outgroup preferences reflect considerations of the status effects of intergroup contact. It appeared that the last type of hypothesis could explain most of the results.

Intergroup contact theory.

Allport specified four conditions for optimal intergroup contact: equal group status within the situation, common goals, intergroup cooperation and authority support. Varied research supports the hypothesis, but four problems remain. 1. A selection bias limits cross-sectional studies, since prejudiced people avoid intergroup contact. Yet research finds that the positive effects of cross-group friendship are larger than those of the bias. 2. Writers overburden the hypothesis with facilitating, but not essential, conditions. 3. The hypothesis fails to address process. The chapter proposes four processes: learning about the outgroup, changed behavior, affective ties, and ingroup reappraisal. 4. The hypothesis does not specify how the effects generalize to other situations, the outgroup or uninvolved outgroups. Acting sequentially, three strategies enhance generalization-decategorization, salient categorization, and recategorization. Finally, both individual differences and societal norms shape intergroup contact effects. The chapter outlines a longitudinal intergroup contact theory. It distinguishes between essential and facilitating factors, and emphasizes different outcomes for different stages of contact.

Cooperation in an Objective Conflict of Interest? Testing Two Psychological Approaches

This article investigates psychological factors that might cause actors to pursue more cooperative policies in the midst of an international conflict. Two theoretical areas are considered: the effect of intergroup contact and the effect of individual-difference variables on cooperative policy preferences Experimental methodology involving small-group processes is used in conjunction with an international conflict simulation The study finds that intergroup contact did not affect policy preferences, either at the level of the decision-making group or at the level of the individual Intergroup contact did, however, favorably alter images of the outgroup The individual-difference variables produced a model that is effective at predicting policy preferences.

Effects of Contact on Children's Attitudes Toward Disability: A Longitudinal Study1

A quasi‐experimental study was conducted on temporal effects of intergroup contact on nondisabled (ND) children's attitudes toward disability. Children from a mainstream primary school were involved in an integration program with children from a school for children with severe learning disabilities (SLD).3 Measures were administered 3 times over a period of 3 months to 26 integrating (experimental) and 24 nonintegrating (control) children. Social orientations in the experimental group became significantly more positive over time, while the control group showed little change. The experimental and control children initially categorized on the basis of gender and disability; subsequently the strategies of the experimental children were more idiosyncratic while the control children still used the same two dimensions.

Interracial Contact in South Africa Within the Nursing Context1

Previous research on the effect of intergroup contact has highlighted the necessity for the contact to be of equal‐status within a supportive environment. The South African apartheid system, with its active discouragement of such contact, presents an interesting context in which the effect of inter‐racial contact may be examined. One hundred and thirteen nurses from four private hospitals took part in the study. Two of the hospitals had racially integrated training programs, and two trained one race group alone. A number of questionnaires were administered to the nurses in individual interviews. The responses indicated that nurses from the contact hospitals viewed the integration of nursing significantly more positively than did the nurses from the noncontact hospitals. However, trait evaluations of the nurses own and corresponding race group on the dimensions, personality and work ability suggested that negative intergroup attribution had not been eliminated by the contact.

Intergroup contact in small cities

This paper explores the nature of intergroup contact in small cities. The attitudes of the larger community (predominantly white) towards three newly arrived minority groups are examined. The three minority groups are Cambodians, Hispanics, and Portuguese. The effects of intergroup contact on the community attitudes are also measured. The results indicate that increased contact has positive effects (more tolerance) on the community attitudes towards both the Cambodians and the Portuguese. An increase in contact, however, does not appreciably alter community attitudes towards Hispanics. Some possible explanations for these discrepant results are discussed.

Social Categorization and Behavioral Episodes: A Cognitive Analysis of the Effects of Intergroup Contact

The effects of intergroup contact on stereotypic beliefs, it is argued, depend upon (1) the potential susceptibility of those beliefs to disconfirming information and the degree to which the contact setting “allows” for disconfirming events, and (2) the degree to which disconfirming events are generalized from specific group members to the group as a whole. To account for the generalization of attributes from a sample to a population, we present a cognitive‐processing model. The model assumes that impressions of groups are most heavily influenced by the attributes of those members most strongly associated with the group label. In order for group stereotypes to change, then, disconfirming information must be associated with the group labels. However, a number of powerful cognitive processes work against this association. As a consequence, we predict that stereotype change will be relatively rare under “normal” circumstances but may occur when disconfirming information is encountered under circumstances that activate the group label (e.g., when disconfirming attributes are associated with otherwise typical group members).

Situational and personal influence on attitude change following ethnic contact

The study undertook to examine the validity in Israel of several conclusions reached by investigators in the United States on the effect of intergroup contact on change in ethnic attitudes, as well as to extend contact research to topics which heretofore have received only scant attention. There were 100 subjects: 12-year-old Israeli girls of different ethnic background, participating in a summer camp. Results indicated that (1) as a result of contact, a positive change in attitude of the high status towards the low-status group occurred with regard to people and activities both related and not related to the contact situation, (2) only subjects without previous ethnic contact showed changes, (3) enjoyment of the contact situation was related to attitude change, while (4) authoritarianism was not related to attitude change.