Early evidence showed contact could worsen rather than reduce prejudice
Evidence
An Alabama study revealed negative effects when all four conditions were violated (Sims & Patrick 1936). White college students from the North increased on average in antiblack prejudice with each year spent in the South. — Thomas F. Pettigrew, Intergroup Contact Theory, 16 (
#corroborates, via linked claim)
Despite his optimism about the potential benefits of contact, Allport warned that superficial contact between members of different groups would, in fact, reinforce stereotypes, by failing to provide new information about each group, or via a self-fulfilling prophecy whereby cautious avoidance of intimacy is mutually interpreted as distrust or dislike, confirming initial suspicion. Thus he wrote, “the casual contact has left matters worse than before” (Allport, 1954/1979, p. 264). — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1795 (
#expands, via linked claim)
In many ways, this stance reverses Allport’s approach. It starts with the prediction that intergroup contact will generally diminish prejudice, but the magnitude of this effect will depend on the presence or absence of a large array of facilitating factors – not just the four emphasized by Allport. In particular, this approach focuses special attention on those negative factors that can subvert contact’s typical reduction of prejudice. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1712 (
#complicates, via linked claim)
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: More rigorous contact studies show larger prejudice-reduction effects. — Thomas F. Pettigrew, Linda R. Tropp, A Meta-Analytic Test of Intergroup…, 120; Contact without the four optimal conditions can increase prejudice over time — Thomas F. Pettigrew, Intergroup Contact Theory, 16; Superficial intergroup contact can actually worsen rather than reduce prejudice — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty Years…, 1795 (+3 more)
Broader Connections
- Contact without the four optimal conditions can increase prejudice over time
#corroborates(0.93) — Thomas F. Pettigrew, Intergroup Contact Theory, 16 - Superficial intergroup contact can actually worsen rather than reduce prejudice
#expands(0.92) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1795 - Contact research should start from the default prediction of prejudice reduction
#complicates(0.88) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1712 - The contact-prejudice effect may be partly an artifact of publication bias.
#complicates(0.74) — Thomas F. Pettigrew, Linda R. Tropp, A Meta-Analytic Test of Intergroup…, 108