Superficial casual contact between groups can worsen rather than reduce prejudice.

Evidence

In his 1954 volume The Nature of Prejudice, Allport proposed that, under certain conditions, bringing together individuals from opposing groups could reduce intergroup prejudice. Prior to Allport’s formulation of contact theory, researchers had already considered the impact of contact through field research when, following the Second World War, attentions turned to the domestic social problem of race relations in the United States (e.g., Williams, 1947; see also Pettigrew & Tropp, ch. 16 this volume). By specifying some critical situational conditions necessary for intergroup contact to reduce prejudice, however, it was Allport’s theory that emerged as the most influential. 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). — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1795

Categorization

• XREF: Directly grounds the existing vault claims likened to Allport contact theory in the original 1954 text.
• SHARE: Share with anyone working on intergroup contact who needs the original Allport wariness about casual interaction.