Contact effects are largest for sexual orientation, exceeding racial and ethnic groups.

Evidence

Contact studies have also extended far beyond their original focus on racial and ethnic groups to test the effects of contact with groups that differ in terms of age, sexual orientation, disability, and mental illness. The relationships between contact and prejudice vary significantly depending on the specific groups involved. Figure 16.1 provides mean effect sizes for studies and samples across the many types of target groups studied in the contact literature. The largest effects emerge for contact between heterosexuals and gays and lesbians (mean d = −0.51, mean r = −0.25). — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1686

Categorization

• XREF: Contrasts with Allport-era framing where race was the model case for contact theory; connects to vault claims on which group types show strongest contact effects.