Seeking Contact and Predictors of Contact – Talks Session 1
Chair: Rhiannon Turner
Mathias Kauff: Social norms and willingness to engage in intergroup contact
AUTHORS’ LIST
Mathias Kauff (FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany), Miles Hewstone (Oxford Centre for the Study of Intergroup Conflict, UK), Katharina Schmid (ESADE Business School, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain), Sarina J. Schäfer (FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany), Ulrich Wagner (Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany), Oliver Christ (FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany)
E-mail:
SHORT ABSTRACT
We portray a research program addressing the relationship between social norms and intergroup contact. Applying a multilevel approach, we studied whether equality-oriented social norms transported by institutions can move individuals towards intergroup contact. We present results from one cross-sectional study conducted in different British neighbourhoods (N = 650), one cross-national survey study (N = 30,000) and one experimental study (N = 1,000).
Alexander W. O’Donnell: Virtual reality intergroup contact: An examination of intergroup anxiety and willingness to approach a modern contact choice
AUTHORS’ LIST
Alexander W. O’Donnell (Griffith University, Australia), David L. Neumann (Griffith University, Australia), Amanda L. Duffy (Griffith University, Australia)
E-mail:
SHORT ABSTRACT
Across two studies, it was shown that intergroup anxiety is a stronger deterrent of engaging in direct intergroup contact in comparison to a novel virtual reality intergroup contact (VRIC). These results highlight that technologically-mediated intergroup contact is a viable alternative for individuals that would otherwise avoid face-to-face interactions with outgroup members due to high anxiety.
Stefania Paolini: Self-selection processes moderate the contact valence asymmetries: Preliminary meta-analytical results from published contact data
AUTHORS’ LIST
Stefania Paolini (the University of Newcastle, Australia), Meghann Gibbs (the University of Newcastle, Australia), Kylie McIntyre (the University of Newcastle, Australia), Benjamin Fell (Oxford University, UK), Miles Hewstone (the University of Newcastle, Australia and Oxford University, UK)
E-mail:
SHORT ABSTRACT
Self-selection processes have been treated as methodological artifacts ‘polluting’ causality inferences about the contact-prejudice relationship; in this research we made them a prime focus of investigation. We report meta-analytic tests of valence asymmetry in published contact research (samples 70; N = 27,456) and evidence that self-selection processes moderate valenced contact-prejudice links allowing for negative valence asymmetries in impact to manifest.
Marta Beneda: Increasing openness to contact after intergroup conflicts: The moral-exemplars approach
AUTHORS’ LIST
Marta Beneda (University of Cambridge, UK), Marta Witkowska (University of Warsaw, Poland), Michał Bilewicz (University of Warsaw, Poland)
E-mail:
SHORT ABSTRACT
Intergroup contact has been demonstrated to foster reconciliation among historically adversarial groups affected by violence. However, contact is very rare in post-conflict settings. In this research, we tested an intervention aimed at increasing openness to contact among historical perpetrators and victims in the context of the Armenian Genocide and WWII atrocities. The intervention employed narratives about historical moral exemplars.
