The contact hypothesis allport, 1954 is one of the most influential and longstanding theories of prejudice reduction. The application of the theory toward the improvement of intergroup relations has had the effect of concealing the fact that contact theory is fundamentally a prejudice theory and not a theory of intergroup relations. Allports1954 initial theorizing on intergroup contact outlined four necessary conditions for prejudice reduction to occur. In psychology and other social sciences, the contact hypothesis suggests that intergroup contact under appropriate conditions can effectively reduce prejudice between majority and minority group members.
Intergroup contact and team functioning among nursing. Intergroup contact is obviously a central topic for both researchers and practitioners in the field of intercultural relations. Yet research finds that the positive effects of cross. The present and the future of the contact hypothesis, and the need for integrating research fields. With 7 independent samples from 515 studies, the metaanalysis finds that intergroup contact typically reduces intergroup. Studying intergroup contact between young men in kaduna advances our broader understanding of ethnic con ict and peacebuilding in several ways. This volume highlights, via a critical lens, the most notable recent developments in the field, demonstrating its vitality and its capacity for reinvention. Recent advances in intergroup contact theory sciencedirect. Allports original conditions for optimal contact equal status, common goals, no intergroup competition, and authority sanction facilitate the effect but are. The past decade has witnessed a dramatic resurgence of interest in this timetested phenomenon, with researchers now focusing on understanding when, why, and for whom contact does and does not work.
Pdf recent advances in intergroup contact theory scinapse. Citations, abstracts, links to pdfs of recent and selected publications. Communication research on race may overlook noteworthy progress in crossracial communication and interaction. The intergroup contact theory suggests that frequent and positive facetoface contact among professionals or students with different cultural heritage can help to reach both increasing team effectiveness and adequate care in a multicultural setting. Allports original conditions for optimal contact a equal status, common goals, no intergroup competition, and authority. Allport specified four conditions for optimal intergroup contact. It represents both a versatile experimental paradigm for investigating the extended and indirect impacts of social contact, as well as a flexible and.
A metaanalysis with 515 studies and more than 250,000 subjects demonstrates that intergroup contact typically reduces prejudice mean ra a a. As such, recent work on the role of intergroup contact in reducing prejudice has moved away from the idea that contact must necessarily include direct facetoface contact between group members and instead includes the notion that indirect contact e. First, nigeria, africas most populous nation, has been a ashpoint for christianmuslim. Do contact and empathy mitigate bias against gay and. Intergroup contact theory has been one of the most influential theories in social psychology since it was first formulated by gordon allport in 1954. In addition, the positive effects of vicarious intergroup contact significantly increased when it was supported by an authority figure. Recent research often in collaboration with diane mackie of the university of california, santa barbara has focused on the role of intergroup emotions in prejudice and intergroup behavior. Social psychology has in recent years made major advances in understanding the complex dynamics of intergroup contact. The approach combines 50 years of research into the effects of contact with recent advances in social cognition. Their combined citations are counted only for the first article. Personality and social psychology bulletin, 43 6, 901902. Consistent with intergroup contact theory, 22 we found that more frequent and more positive intergroup contact predicted more positive attitudes toward gay men and lesbian women. The contact situation must provide the participants with the opportunity to become friends.
Gordon allports contact hypothesis facing history and. A metaanalytic test of intergroup contact theory thomas f. As mentioned previously, methodological and statistical advances have made it possible to examine the effects of contact at multiple levels, including the perso. A metaanalysis with 515 studies and more than 250,000 subjects demonstrates that intergroup contact typically reduces prejudice mean r 21. Advances in intergroup contact theory and research, however, have shown these conditions are not. Implications of negative and positive contact for collective action in advantaged and disadvantaged groups. Summarizing a wide range of analyses, sidanius et al. Intergroup contact remains one of the most effective means to reduce prejudice and conflict between groups.
Gordon allports contact hypothesis has been greatly advanced over the decades into what is now called contact theory. Why, do you think, this field of intercultural communication advocates contact between different cultural groups. Recent advances in intergroup contact theory request pdf. The contact hypothesis, or contact theory as its sometimes known, is a really powerful, promising idea for a country like the united states one that is big and diverse and whose national conversation on a host of subjects ranging from poverty to crime is veined through with implicit and explicit racism. All humans belong to many different types of social groups, ranging from smaller groupings of people such as ones circles of friends to larger social categories such as.
Intergroup relations refers to interactions between individuals in different social groups, and to interactions taking place between the groups themselves collectively. A vast body of research deriving from intergroup contact theory suggests that negative attitudes stem in part from lack of personal and positive contact between groups allport, 1954. This volume highlights, via a critical lens, the most notable recent developments in the field, demonstrating its vitality and its capacity for reinvention and integration with a variety of. Social psychological research on intergroup relations concerns the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors humans express when they think of themselves and others as members of social groups. Advances in experimental social psychology, 37, 255343. The past, present and future of research on the contact hypothesis. Intergroup contact, social dominance and environmental. Varied research supports the hypothesis, but four problems remain. Following wwii and the desegregation of the military and other public institutions, policymakers and social scientists had turned an eye towards the policy. In criminology, psychology, and sociology, the contact hypothesis has been described as one of the best ways to improve relations among groups that are experiencing conflict. An intergroup approach to second language acquisition. This paper evaluates the state of contact hypothesis research from a policy perspective. Tropp boston college the present article presents a metaanalytic test of intergroup contact theory.
Although it is now beyond any doubt that intergroup contact reduces prejudice, we know surprisingly little about the more distal consequences of intergroup contact. Imagining intergroup contact can improve intergroup attitudes. Fans of one of the basketball teams participated in the current study. Allports original conditions for optimal contact equal status, common goals, no intergroup competition, and authority sanction facilitate the effect but are not.
Pettigrew university of california, santa cruz linda r. Allport is often credited with the development of the contact hypothesis, also known as intergroup contact theory. Bold new thinking is necessary to simultaneously leverage research on racial representations, acknowledge evidence of racial discord, and recognize and explore progress toward positive change in race relations. To date, research on the indirect application of intergroup contact has focused on extended contact. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal noncommercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues.
This article appeared in a journal published by elsevier. A selection bias limits crosssectional studies, since prejudiced people avoid intergroup contact. Vicarious intergroup contact and the role of authorities. It has long been a subject of research in social psychology, political psychology, and organizational behavior in 1966, muzafer sherif proposed a nowwidely recognized definition of intergroup relations. Groupbased emotions, social influence, other research groupbased emotions. Vicarious intergroup contact improved outgroup and metastereotype evaluations as compared with a no contact condition. A metaanalysis with 515 studies and more than 250,000 subjects demonstrates that intergroup contact typically reduces continue reading. It reflects developments in older, more established intergroup settings e. In 1954, allport proposed the intergroup contact hypothesis, which states that intergroup contact would help promote positive intergroup relations by reducing prejudice, if they occur under the right conditions.
Despite the recent advances in intergroup contact theory, the field would benefit from taking stock of what we still do not know or understand sufficiently. The contact hypothesis reevaluated behavioural public. Prime amongst these concerns is their failure to take into account explicitly processes such as ethnic identification which are accorded significance in current intergroup theory tajfel, 1974, 1978a. Download this document for psychology of safety at universiteit twente for free and find more useful study materials for your courses. Advances in intergroup communication is a timely contribution to the field.
A metaanalysis with 515 studies and more than 250,000 subjects demonstrates that. Can social contact reduce prejudice and discrimination. Building on pettigrew and tropps 2006 influential metaanalysis, we assemble all intergroup contact studies that feature random assignment and delayed outcome measures, of which there are 27 in total, nearly twothirds of which were published following the original. International journal of intercultural relations 32 3. In this article, we outline a new implementation of intergroup contact theory. Pettigrew department of psychology, university of california, santa cruz, california 95064. Although our correlational results should be interpreted cautiously, they hint at four possible medical education interventionsand potential avenues for.
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