Positive contact effects fail to generalize when outgroup members are treated as exceptions

Evidence

Nevertheless, as Allport recognized, one major reason why the positive benefits of intergroup contact may fail to generalize to the outgroup as a whole is that the specific outgroup members present are favorably regarded as exceptions and not necessarily typical of their group as a whole (see also Wilder, 1984). Allport (1954/1979) proposed: “When a fact can not fit into a mental field, the exception is acknowledged, but the field is hastily fenced in again” (p. 23). — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 573 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Voci and Hewstone (2003) examined group salience and intergroup anxiety, a moderator variable and a mediator variable respectively, while looking at the effect of contact on Italians’ attitudes towards immigrants in their country. Using Structural Equation Modeling procedures, they found that intergroup anxiety mediated the impact of combined quality and quantity of contact in reducing subtle prejudice and improving outgroup attitudes. They then tested the effect of group membership salience as a moderator for each path in the model. They found that between contact and anxiety, positive frequent contact reduced anxiety more when group membership was salient than when it was not. The direct path from contact to attitudes was also stronger when group salience was high compared to when it was low. Thus, a combination of positive contact and group salience during that contact resulted in the most positive evaluations of the outgroup. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1844 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim
• XREF: connects to: Positive contact with hated out-groups can transform radicals — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America:…, 71; Contact benefits fail to generalize when outgroup members are seen as exceptions — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 573; Individuating contact can fail to generalize to other group members — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1808 (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• Contact benefits fail to generalize when outgroup members are seen as exceptions #corroborates (0.98) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 573
• Personalized positive contact fails to generalize because outgroup members get subtyped as exceptions #expands (0.94)
• Positive contact reduces prejudice most when group membership stays salient #complicates (0.78) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1844
• High group salience in studies explains contact’s broad generalization effects #complicates (0.75) — Thomas F. Pettigrew, Linda R. Tropp, A Meta-Analytic Test of Intergroup…, 234