Negative Contact Experiences Research Articles

Additive and multiplicative effects of different forms of positive and negative indirect intergroup contact in predicting intergroup attitudes

Numerous studies found that different forms of positive indirect intergroup contact relate to people’s intergroup attitudes. Much less work has explored whether negative forms of indirect contact predict intergroup attitudes and even less evidence exists on the co-occurrence of direct and indirect forms of intergroup contact and, thus, the expected joint impact of a combination of interventions. We explore the additive effects of four types of indirect contact in predicting intergroup attitudes: extended contact, vicarious contact, mass-mediated contact, and virtual vicarious contact through social media. We also explore whether the effects of indirect contact are stronger when people have less direct contact. For each type, we measure positive and negative contact experiences. Data come from two studies (N1 = 785; N2 = 858) asking native Dutch respondents about indirect contact experiences with members of immigrant communities. We find that observing positive intergroup interactions in real life, on mass media, and, to a weaker extent, on social media has additive positive associations with intergroup attitudes. Positive extended contact has only an added effect in Study 1. Of the negative indirect forms of contact, only negative vicarious contact predicts outgroup attitudes. No consistent multiplicative effects appeared across the studies, suggesting that indirect contact effects are not stronger for those with less direct contact. We conclude that observing contact (vicarious contact) may be more impactful than merely knowing of it (extended contact).

Intergroup Contact, Perceived Attitudes, and Immigrants’ Attitudes Towards Locals: The Case of Immigrants Living in Finland

Research on immigrant-host attitudes in Finland has flourished significantly over the past two decades. However, most of this research has focused on Finnish attitudes towards immigrants. Studies that examine immigrants’ perception of the type of attitudes Finns have towards immigrants and immigrants’ own attitude toward Finns are hard to come by. This study examines the relationship between intergroup contact and the perception immigrants have about the type of attitudes Finns have towards immigrants. In addition, it further explores the extent to which the perception immigrants have of Finnish attitudes towards immigrants predicts immigrants’ attitudes towards Finns. In a sample of 104 immigrants and through the use of surveys, this study finds that positive contact experiences with Finns are positively related to favorable perceptions of Finnish attitudes towards immigrants, while negative contact experiences are negatively related to favorable perceptions of Finnish attitudes towards immigrants in Finland. In addition, the perception immigrants have of Finnish attitudes towards immigrants significantly predicted immigrants’ attitudes towards Finns. Implications and recommendations for future research are also discussed.

The contact hypothesis and the virtual revolution: Does face-to-face interaction remain central to improving intergroup relations?

Research on the contact hypothesis has traditionally prioritized the role of positive, direct, face-to-face interactions in shaping intergroup prejudices, but it has recently expanded to study indirect vicarious, negative, and online contact experiences. In the majority of studies though, there has been little direct comparison of the relationship between these different forms of contact and prejudice. The present research set out to compare the amount and effects of negative, online, and vicarious contact in the context of positive, face-to-face and direct contact in two studies. Study 1 comprised a national cross-sectional survey of relations between White and Black UK residents (n = 1014), and Study 2 comprised a national longitudinal survey of relations between Catholic and Protestant residents of Northern Ireland (n = 1030). The results of both studies indicated that positive face-to-face contact occurred more frequently and had a comparatively stronger relationship with prejudice than other forms of contact. However, they also indicated the effects of online, negative and vicarious forms of contact existed independently of those of direct, positive face-to-face contact. Moreover, online negative contact generally had a stronger relationship to prejudice than negative contact experienced face-to-face. Exploratory mediation analyses suggested the affective pathways from contact to prejudice may vary for different forms of contact.

Positive and negative contact between Africans and native Italians: Importance for migrants' collective action in support of their and other groups' rights

AbstractThis research investigates the positive and negative contact experiences of African migrants with native Italians and the association between contact and behavioural intentions to reduce social inequalities. Two studies examined the associations between intergroup contact of migrants and their collective action in support of their or other group members, by testing the mediating role of positive and negative emotions towards natives. Hypotheses were tested with two samples of first‐generation, legal African migrants living in Italy for less than 3 years (Ns = 242 [118 males], 251 [154]). Negative contact was positively associated with collective action in support of one's group, especially among respondents with higher positive intergroup experiences, and anger towards native people mediated this association. The association of positive contact with collective action to foster a more egalitarian society in general was mediated by reduced fear towards native people, and the association between positive contact and collective action at large was stronger for migrants with lower negative intergroup contact. Overall, this research provides further evidence on the impact of intergroup contact on migrants, specifically on the role of affective factors in their association with migrants' willingness to engage in collective action to reduce societal inequality at large.

A longitudinal test of secondary transfer effects of negative intergroup contact and mediating processes

AbstractPositive intergroup contact has not only been shown to be positively associated with favourable attitudes towards members of the contacted group but also with attitudes towards members of secondary outgroups (secondary transfer effect, STE). Only a few studies have addressed a potential STE of negative intergroup contact (i.e., a generalization of negative contact experiences to secondary outgroups). Furthermore, longitudinal studies on STEs and on underlying mediation processes are lacking. In the present research, we investigated the existence of a STE for negative (and positive) intergroup contact in four longitudinal samples with three (Studies 1a and 1b) and two waves (Studies 2 and 3; Noverall = 2052, time lags between waves 2 to 12 months). Our studies did not provide robust evidence for a STE of negative (and positive) contact, nor for indirect STEs via attitude generalization, ingroup identification or diversity beliefs. We discuss implications and suggest avenues for future research.

Intergroup contact and intended actions in support of disadvantaged groups: The role of affective processes and feelings of solidarity

Intergroup contact is a well-established basis of prejudice reduction. However, less is known about its potential to motivate people to act in support of disadvantaged groups. We investigated the associations of both positive and negative intergroup contact with action intentions for disadvantaged groups among members of ethnic majority groups from different intergroup contexts, including non-WEIRD samples. Furthermore, we tested the role of affective processes and feelings of solidarity as psychological processes explaining these associations. In three cross-sectional studies (total N = 962) from Greece, Thailand, and Turkey, positive and negative contact experiences were associated with, respectively, stronger and weaker intended actions. These associations were particularly pronounced for positive contact. Contact measures were also related to stronger intentions to donate and distribute money in favor of the disadvantaged group (Study 3). A three-wave longitudinal study conducted in the UK (Study 4, N = 603) confirmed the association for positive contact but not for negative contact. Feelings of solidarity emerged as the most consistent mediator, followed by outgroup empathy and, to a lesser extent, group-based anger. Together, these findings show that contact can be an important factor motivating advantaged group members to act in solidarity with disadvantaged groups, and highlight the mediating factors in this process.

Have some confidence in contact: Self‐efficacy beliefs among children moderate the associations between cross‐group friendships and outgroup attitudes

AbstractWe investigated how and when individuals transform existing cross‐group interactions into more positive attitudes towards outgroups. Specifically focusing on the context of Syrian immigration to Turkey, we examined whether native children's cross‐group friendship self‐efficacy beliefs—the perception of their abilities about building successful cross‐group interactions—moderated the direct and indirect associations between cross‐group friendship quantity (measured by the number of Syrian friends), cross‐group friendship positivity and negativity, and attitudinal outcomes (outgroup attitudes, intergroup anxiety, and social distance). Analyses of correlational data (5th graders, N = 746) demonstrated that direct and indirect (through cross‐group friendship positivity) associations between cross‐group friendship quantity and positive intergroup outcomes were stronger among children who held greater self‐efficacy beliefs. Importantly, quantity of such friendships was related to more negative intergroup outcomes through negative contact experiences among children who reported lower self‐efficacy beliefs. Theoretical implications of the findings and possible interventions targeting self‐efficacy beliefs in intergroup contact strategies were discussed.

Talking to a (Segregation) Wall: Intergroup Contact and Attitudes Toward Normalization Among Palestinians From the Occupied Territories

This article examines how Palestinians' intergroup contact experiences relate to their attitudes towards interactions with Israelis (i.e., normalization). We draw on four recent advances in intergroup contact literature. First, recent research indicates that positive contact can impede disadvantaged groups' motivation to challenge inequalities. Second, increased endorsement of normalization mediates this sedative effect of positive contact on motivation to resist in the West Bank. Third, negative contact has been related to increased motivation for social change. Fourth, institutions and societal norms shape the meaning of intergroup contact and its effect on intergroup relations. We hypothesize that negative experiences at checkpoints can act as reminders of institutionalized inequalities and thus attenuate sedative effects. Furthermore, we explore the contextual boundary conditions of such reminder effects. Analyses of cross‐sectional survey conducted among a representative sample (N = 1,000) in the West Bank including Jerusalem showed that (1) positive intergroup contact related to normalization endorsement (sedative effect), (2) negative intergroup contact related to decreased normalization endorsement (mobilizing effect), and (3) negative contact experiences (at checkpoints) canceled out the effect of positive contact (reminder effect), but only in Jerusalem. Results suggest that the impacts of intergroup contact need to be interpreted in light of institutionalized forms of group inequality and segregation.

Everyday dehumanization: Negative contact, humiliation, and the lived experience of being treated as 'less than human'.

Developing work on the nature and consequences of negative intergroup contact, this study explores its potential role in sustaining everyday experiences of dehumanization; that is, experiences in which participants report feeling deprived of full human status. As a case study, we explore domestic service relations in a neighbourhood of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, analysing interviews (n=22) conducted with Black domestic workers and their families (n=64 participants in total) about their day-to-day interactions with Indian employers. Drawing on thematic analysis of accounts of paid domestic labour and food-sharing practices, we argue that negative contact experiences may cumulatively engender a sense of dehumanization and associated feelings of humiliation: a response marked by intertwined constructions of shame and injustice. Implications for understanding wider problems of intergroup conflict and political solidarity are discussed and avenues for future research proposed.

Intergenerational Contact Experiences and Their Relation to Ageism as a Multidimensional Construct

Research on intergroup contact suggests that negative contact experiences affect cognitive representations such as stereotypes more strongly than positive contact experiences. To comprehensively examine the full effect of intergroup contact, the valence of the contact experience as well as the affective and cognitive dimensions of prejudice should be assessed. In ageism research, previous studies typically focused only on contact of positive valence and were limited to the perspectives of younger individuals on older adults. Primary objective of this study is to examine both positive and negative contact frequency and their relation to affective and cognitive dimensions of ageism from the perspectives of younger adults between the age of 18 and 25 (study 1) and older adults between the age of 60 and 92 (study 2). Consistent with previous research on intergroup contact, our results confirm that both types of contact were similarly predictive of affective facets of prejudice. However, only in study 2 that assessed older adults’ agreement with contemporary stereotypes about young men and women, negative compared to positive contact frequency proved to be a stronger predictor of the cognitive dimension of ageism. Our findings emphasize the importance of focusing on all dimensions of prejudice and highlight the need to consider the perspectives of young and old in ageism research.

The interplay of positive and negative intergroup contact: Experiences of Latino/a Youth in the U.S.

This study examines the interplay of positive and negative intergroup contact with majority group members from the perspective of ethnic minority youth. Taking a social identity approach, we posit that negative contact experiences (i.e., hostile interactions) may undermine the benefits of some positive contact experiences (i.e., friendly interactions) for minority contact orientations (e.g., openness to and anxiety about cross-group interactions). Conversely, for other positive contact experiences, in particular high-quality forms of positive contact (e.g., friendship), we expect that their beneficial effects will not be undermined, and that the adverse effects of negative contact may even be buffered by such high-quality positive contact experiences. We tested our predictions in a sample of U.S. Latino/a youth (N = 126) nested in 41 classrooms, using a multilevel design. As expected, friendly interactions predicted more favorable contact orientations only in the absence of negative contact, while high-quality positive contact robustly predicted more favorable contact orientations and even buffered negative contact effects. These findings illuminate how negative contact can cast a long shadow over the inclusion of minority youth in intergroup settings; moreover, they indicate the importance of curbing hostile treatment targeting minority youth and of promoting high-quality positive contact over and above mere friendly interactions.

The impacts of direct-negative and indirect-negative contact experiences on the attitudes toward the police: focus on racial differences

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine how direct-negative and indirect-negative contact experiences affect students' attitudes toward the police by race and test the mediation effect of social distance on the relationship.Design/methodology/approachUsing the data collected from two US 4-year public universities, this study employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the impacts of the key variables, direct-negative and indirect-negative contact experience, on the students' attitudes toward the police. This study also tests whether indirect negative contact with the police is a stronger factor than direct negative contacts among racial/ethnic minority people.FindingsResults show that both direct-negative and indirect-negative contacts are stronger predictors of the dependent variable. In particular, the indirect-negative contact has significant direct and indirect effects through social distance on the dependent variable in racial minorities. The study also shows that indirect contact more strongly affects racial minorities than direct-negative contact experiences do.Originality/valueThis study is the first sophisticatedly to examine students' negative contact experiences into two variables: direct-negative and indirect-negative contacts with the police.

Negative contact, collective action, and social change: Critical reflections, technological advances, and new directions

AbstractIntergroup contact research has expanded exponentially in the last few decades, with researchers employing a widening range of methods to offer new insights into the effects of both positive and negative contact experiences. In this commentary, we discuss the contributions of three papers to this special issue of the Journal of Social Issues on advances in intergroup contact research, namely Schäfer et al.’s (2021) review of research on negative intergroup contact experiences, Hässler et al.’s (2020) review of research on intergroup contact and social change, and O'Donnell et al.’s (2021) review of technological and analytic advances in contact research. Having outlined the key arguments of each paper, we then offer some theoretical and methodological reflections, also discussing potential gaps, connections, opportunities, and future directions along the way. We end by reflecting on a common theme that permeates our commentary: the need to contextualize adequately the dynamics of intergroup contact across a range of everyday settings. Here we argue that to fully understand how to promote beneficial forms of intergroup contact, we need to consider more carefully how contact is experienced, enacted, and evaluated “on the ground” by participants themselves. This requires work of both theoretical and methodological innovation.

History matters: the long-term impact of historical immigrant size on current xenophobia in Japan

Many studies have addressed how current immigrant size affects the strength of xenophobia from the perspectives of intergroup contact and ethnic competition theories. Can native residents’ current xenophobia be explained by historical immigrant size? To explore this question, we use historical immigrant size and a survey dataset to investigate the long-term effects of historical immigrant size on current xenophobia in Japan. The results show that historical immigrant size increases current xenophobia in Japan, which may be due to previous negative contact experiences between immigrants and native residents, and the negative effects persist. The implications of these findings for our understanding of the relationship between immigrant size and xenophobia are discussed.

How positive and negative contact experiences relate to identification and acculturation of persons with a migration background: Differentiating between majority, minority, and religious group identity

AbstractBadea, Jetten, Iyer, and Er‐Rafiy proposed a model that specifies immigrants’ experienced rejection by majority and minority groups and social identification with these groups as predictors of their acculturation attitudes. The present research tested an extended version of this model by assessing (i) both positive and negative contact experiences with majority and minority groups, (ii) social identification with these groups and religious groups, and (iii) acculturation attitudes. We surveyed individuals with Greek (N = 186) and Turkish (N = 138) migration background living in Germany. The proposed model yielded a good fit with the empirical data and showed that positive and negative contact with majority and minority groups predicted minority members’ acculturation attitudes, mediated via identification with the majority, minority, and religious group. Our findings support the extended model and contribute to a broader understanding of contact–identification–acculturation links in the context of migration.

Associations between perceived positive and negative parental contact and adolescents’ intergroup contact experiences

This study investigated the association between perceived parental positive and negative contact and adolescents’ own positive and negative contact experiences and tested perspective-taking, intergroup anxiety, outgroup attitudes, and approach behavioral tendencies as potential mediators. A total of 325 7th and 8th Year Turkish students completed questionnaires in classrooms (Mage = 13.46, SD = 0.75). Structural equation models demonstrated that percieved negative parental contact was directly and strongly associated with negative, but not positive, adolescent contact, whereas parental positive contact had a direct positive association with adolescent positive contact. We further found that perceived parental positive contact was related to higher perspective-taking and lower intergroup anxiety which promoted approach behavioral tendencies which was, in turn, related to more positive and less negative contact among adolescents. The study highlights the critical function of parental positive and negative contact on the formation of adolescents’ contact behaviors.

Welcoming the Unwelcome: How Contact Shapes Contexts of Reception for New Immigrants in Germany and the United States

AbstractHow receiving society members perceive and respond to immigration are crucial factors that shape the context of reception for immigrants coming to a new country. In this paper, we examine these processes through the lens of intergroup contact research, with a focus on relations between immigrants and members of receiving societies, to discern ways in which receiving societies are or are not welcoming toward immigrants. Reviewing recent theorizing with illustrative empirical studies and ongoing programs of research that focus on new immigrants in Germany and the United States, we describe how direct and indirect forms of positive and negative contact can serve either to facilitate or inhibit positive immigrant‐receiving community relations. We also discuss factors that may contribute to the emergence of positive and negative contact experiences between immigrants and receiving society members. We close with a discussion of policy implications.

When does superficial intergroup contact reduce anti-foreigner sentiment? Negative contact as an essential condition

This article expands intergroup contact research by examining how negative and positive contact experiences outside the private sphere condition the impact of superficial intergroup contact. Analyses show that (1) superficial intergroup contact spurs anti-foreigner sentiment among in-group members with very negative contact experiences, whereas (2) superficial intergroup contact reduces anti-foreigner sentiment among in-group members with positive contact experiences. Thus, the impact of superficial contact is highly conditioned by the characteristics of subjective contact experiences. These results were generated in a fixed-effects regression analysis of 21 countries and 27,404 individuals from the most recent 2014–European Social Survey (ESS) (round 7). In terms of theoretical implications, the findings suggest that the characteristics of contact experiences are essential for the ability of superficial intergroup contact to produce positive outcomes.

Intergroup contact and prejudice between Dutch majority and Muslim minority youth in the Netherlands.

This study deals with three relatively understudied issues in intergroup contact: negative contact, mediating mechanisms, and the minority perspective. Both direct and extended positive and negative contact experiences are included in the design. Intergroup anxiety is tested as a mediator between different forms of contact and prejudice, and status as Dutch majority or Muslim minority is used as a moderator. A sample of 317 Dutch majority (47.6% female) and 369 Muslim minority (52.0% female) youth, ranging in age from 12 to 19 years completed self-reports about contact experiences, intergroup threat, and prejudice. Results show that status as a Dutch majority or Muslim minority is a moderator in the relations between contact, intergroup anxiety, and prejudice. In the majority sample, all forms of direct and extended contact were related to prejudice and mediated by intergroup anxiety in the expected directions. In the Muslim minority sample, only positive contact was related to prejudice and mediated by intergroup anxiety in the expected direction. These findings underline that studies on intergroup relations should take both positive and negative contact experiences for intergroup attitudes into account as well as the majority or minority status of the groups involved. Moreover, the study suggests that partly different explanations may be needed for minority and majority groups for the role of intergroup contact in intergroup attitudes. (PsycINFO Database Record

Ramifications of positive and negative contact experiences among remigrants from Russia to Finland.

This article focuses on the effects of positive and negative contact with majority Finns on the outgroup attitudes of remigrants from Russia to Finland. We tested (a) whether negative contact leads to negative outgroup attitudes via perceived threats, and (b) whether positive contact leads to positive outgroup attitudes via perceived gains seen to result from contact with majority Finns. We also tested whether the effects of contact with majority members generalized to attitudes toward other immigrant groups living in Finland. The study used 2-wave longitudinal panel data on Ingrian-Finnish remigrants (NT1 = 133, mean age 46.4 years, 73% females; NT2 = 85, mean age 49.3 years, 73% females). The results attested the effects of positive contact experiences on attitudes toward both majority and other minority group members, via perceived gains. As regards negative contact, it was associated with more negative attitudes toward the majority via perceived threats, but no evidence of secondary transfer effect on attitudes toward other immigrants was found. The results highlight the importance of simultaneous examination of positive and negative contact. Especially positive contact and gains perceived to result from it can be powerful tools in promoting positive outgroup attitudes also among minority group members. The results also show the role of majority group members in defining interminority attitudes.