Cross-group friendships cause later intergroup trust, not the reverse.

Evidence

Direct contact Given that extensive segregation still pervades all aspects of Northern Irish society (Hewstone et al, 2005), positive contact with members of the other community should provide a means of reducing inter-group anxiety (anxiety about mixing with the outgroup), overcoming stereotypes and promoting more positive outgroup attitudes. We have demonstrated this in numerous studies, using both cross-sectional and longitudinal survey designs, with both university students and members of the general public as respondents (e.g. Paolini et al, 2004; Tausch et al, 2010). We have also shown longitudinally, using a large sample of respondents drawn at random from four areas of Belfast, that those who have more cross-group friendships at baseline will be more likely to trust outgroup members 1 year later than will those with fewer or no such friendships (Kenworthy et al, 2015); there was no evidence that those high in initial trust were more likely to seek cross-group friendships. — Miles Hewstone and Joanne Hughes, Reconciliation in Northern Ireland, 10

We have also shown longitudinally, using a large sample of respondents drawn at random from four areas of Belfast, that those who have more cross-group friendships at baseline will be more likely to trust outgroup members 1 year later than will those with fewer or no such friendships (Kenworthy et al, 2015); there was no evidence that those high in initial trust were more likely to seek cross-group friendships. — Miles Hewstone and Joanne Hughes, Reconciliation in Northern Ireland, 10

Categorization

• DEEPTHINKING: The directional finding is direct evidence for the reader’s question about whether positive contact de-escalates the dialectic: causality runs from friendship to trust in Northern Ireland, not trust to friendship. This matters for the ‘withdrawal of conflict’ thesis.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Miles Hewstone and Joanne Hughes, Reconciliation in Northern Ireland: the…, 10
• XREF: connects to: Cross-group friendship shapes positive intergroup attitudes more than casual contact does. — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 556; Cross-group friendships reduce prejudice partly by lowering intergroup anxiety. — Miles Hewstone and Joanne Hughes, Reconciliation in Northern Ireland: the…, 11; Close cross-community friendships best promote reconciliation, and segregated schooling sustains division. — Miles Hewstone and Joanne Hughes, Reconciliation in Northern Ireland: the…, 26 (+1 more)

Related

• Cross-group friendship is the most effective intergroup contact form for reconciliation. (similarity 0.91)
• Close cross-community friendships best promote reconciliation, and segregated schooling sustains division. (similarity 0.90)
• Cross-group friendships reduce prejudice partly by lowering intergroup anxiety. (similarity 0.89)
• Cross-group friendship shapes positive intergroup attitudes more than casual contact does. (similarity 0.87)
• Cross-group friendship especially reduces prejudice through intimacy and equal-status contact. (similarity 0.84)
• Observing ingroup friends interact with outgroups reduces one’s future intergroup anxiety (similarity 0.84)
• Outgroup friendship contact correlates with forgiveness, trust, and perspective-taking across both religious groups (similarity 0.83)
• Mere knowledge that ingroup peers befriend outgroup members improves intergroup attitudes (similarity 0.83)
• Intergroup contact most strongly and reliably predicts willingness to mix with the outgroup (similarity 0.82)
• Contact with one out-group improves attitudes toward unrelated out-groups (similarity 0.82)
• Intergroup contact is an established general mechanism for reducing prejudice across group types. (similarity 0.81)
• Outgroup friendship may predict forgiveness toward that outgroup (similarity 0.80)
• Miles Hewstone and Joanne Hughes — Reconciliation in Northern Ireland the value of inter-group contact (similarity 0.80)
• Intergroup contact predicts forgiveness-related attitudes even in those who suffered sectarian conflict. (similarity 0.80)
• Student-body mixing drives cross-group attitudes, not school type (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Cross-group friendships reduce prejudice partly by lowering intergroup anxiety. #expands (0.85) — Miles Hewstone and Joanne Hughes, Reconciliation in Northern Ireland, 11
• Cross-group friendship shapes positive intergroup attitudes more than casual contact does. #expands (0.82) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 556