Intergroup contact is an established general mechanism for reducing prejudice across group types.

Evidence

Given the current state of the research literature, there is little need to demonstrate further contact’s general ability to lessen prejudice. Results from the meta-analysis conclusively show that intergroup contact can promote reductions in intergroup prejudice. Moreover, the meta-analytic findings reveal that contact theory applies beyond racial and ethnic groups to embrace other types of groups as well. As such, intergroup contact theory now stands as a general social psychological theory and not as a theory designed simply for the special case of racial and ethnic contact. — Thomas F. Pettigrew, Linda R. Tropp, A Meta-Analytic Test of Intergroup…, 239

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the theoretical status of contact theory as a general (not race-specific) social-psychological framework.
• XREF: connects to: Cross-group friendship is the most effective intergroup contact form for reconciliation. — Miles Hewstone and Joanne Hughes, Reconciliation in Northern Ireland: the…, 5; Intergroup contact reduces prejudice across outgroups, and Allport’s conditions are helpful but not essential. — Thomas F. Pettigrew, Linda R. Tropp, A Meta-Analytic Test of Intergroup…, 3; Intergroup contact research has expanded beyond prejudice to test trust, forgiveness, and ingroup perception. — Thomas F. Pettigrew, Linda R. Tropp, A Meta-Analytic Test of Intergroup…, 235 (+2 more)

Related

• Intergroup contact research has expanded beyond prejudice to test trust, forgiveness, and ingroup perception. (similarity 0.93)
• Intergroup contact reduces prejudice across outgroups, and Allport’s conditions are helpful but not essential. (similarity 0.92)
• Intergroup contact reduces prejudice even beyond the groups involved. (similarity 0.92)
• Cross-group friendship especially reduces prejudice through intimacy and equal-status contact. (similarity 0.90)
• Early skeptics judged intergroup contact research premature and methodologically weak. (similarity 0.89)
• No meta-analysis of intergroup contact research existed before this study. (similarity 0.88)
• Theorists now seek what is necessary, not just helpful, for contact success (similarity 0.88)
• Intergroup contact reduces prejudice only under four specific optimal conditions. (similarity 0.88)
• Intergroup contact reduces prejudice more strongly than prejudice drives avoidance of contact (similarity 0.88)
• Contact reduces hostility even amid conflict and heavy segregation, mainly affectively. (similarity 0.87)
• Allport’s optimal contact conditions facilitate but are not necessary for prejudice reduction (similarity 0.87)
• Intergroup contact theory originated in a 1947 synthesis of 102 propositions. (similarity 0.87)
• Contact’s prejudice reduction must generalize beyond the immediate situation to matter. (similarity 0.87)
• Intergroup contact reduces prejudice only when it reveals common interests and humanity. (similarity 0.86)
• Contact effects persist beyond the immediate contact situation. (similarity 0.86)