Developing interventions to Developing interventions to encourage intergroup contactencourage intergroup contact

Rhiannon Turner and Keon WestRhiannon Turner and Keon WestUniversity of LeedsUniversity of Leeds

SLN Research Day, Bradford, 23 August 2011SLN Research Day, Bradford, 23 August 2011

BackgroundBackground

Research shows that positive, friendly encounters Research shows that positive, friendly encounters between members of different groups can lead to between members of different groups can lead to more positive intergroup relationsmore positive intergroup relations

Positive outcomes of intergroup contact include Positive outcomes of intergroup contact include more positive attitudes, lower levels of anxiety, more positive attitudes, lower levels of anxiety, and greater mutual trust, empathy, and respect and greater mutual trust, empathy, and respect between members of different groups (e.g., between members of different groups (e.g., Turner & Feddes, 2011; Turner et al., 2007)Turner & Feddes, 2011; Turner et al., 2007)

Key research questionsKey research questions

How can we encourage people to How can we encourage people to engage in positive intergroup contact engage in positive intergroup contact in the first place?in the first place?

How can we ensure that when people How can we ensure that when people dodo meet members of other groups, meet members of other groups, the encounters are successful?the encounters are successful?

2 interventions have been 2 interventions have been developed that might help...developed that might help...

Extended contactExtended contact• Knowledge of ingroup Knowledge of ingroup

members who have members who have outgroup friendsoutgroup friends

Imagined contactImagined contact• Imagining interactions Imagining interactions

with outgroup memberswith outgroup members

Generate more positive attitudes and expectations, and therefore reduce anxiety about interacting with other

groups

Contact should be (a) more likely, and (b) more comfortable and enjoyable when it does arise

The researchThe research

On the following slides, we present some initial research On the following slides, we present some initial research which demonstrate the benefits of extended and imagined which demonstrate the benefits of extended and imagined contactcontact

Extended contactExtended contact This is the idea that knowing, observing, This is the idea that knowing, observing,

or learning about members of or learning about members of youryour group who have friends in group who have friends in anotheranother group can results in more positive group can results in more positive attitudes towards that groupattitudes towards that group

This is because it provides us with This is because it provides us with a a positive model positive model of intergroup relations, of intergroup relations, showing us that members of our group and showing us that members of our group and another group can get alonganother group can get along

Testing extended contactTesting extended contact 120 White British high school students, aged 13-120 White British high school students, aged 13-

17 completed a questionnaire about their 17 completed a questionnaire about their experiences with Asians experiences with Asians

Our questions included the following...Our questions included the following...

Extended contact, e.Extended contact, e.g., ‘How many White g., ‘How many White people do you know who have Asian friends?’people do you know who have Asian friends?’

Intergroup anxiety,Intergroup anxiety, e.g., How e.g., How nervous, tense, nervous, tense, scared etc do you feel about mixing socially with scared etc do you feel about mixing socially with Asians?’Asians?’

Outgroup attitude Outgroup attitude , e.g., To what extend to you , e.g., To what extend to you think Asians are “cold-warm”, “negative-positive”think Asians are “cold-warm”, “negative-positive”

FindingsFindings

-.38**

Outgroup Attitude

Intergroup anxiety

y10 y11

y12 y13

-.14*

Extended contact

y3 y4

• We found that people with experience of extended contact – We found that people with experience of extended contact – who knew members of their own group (other White people) who knew members of their own group (other White people) who had Asian friends – were less anxious about intergroup who had Asian friends – were less anxious about intergroup contact, and had more positive attitudes towards people who contact, and had more positive attitudes towards people who are Asian.are Asian.

Testing imagined contactTesting imagined contact

Imagined contact is the mental simulation of a social Imagined contact is the mental simulation of a social interaction with a member or members of an outgroup interaction with a member or members of an outgroup category. category.

It is thought to work by automatically activating It is thought to work by automatically activating activate concepts associated with successful activate concepts associated with successful interactions with outgroup members, such as feeling interactions with outgroup members, such as feeling more relaxed and comfortable.more relaxed and comfortable.

The imagination task also gives people the chance to The imagination task also gives people the chance to think about what they might learn from such an think about what they might learn from such an interaction, how they might feel, and how this might interaction, how they might feel, and how this might influence their perceptions influence their perceptions

In sum, it should make people feel more relaxed about In sum, it should make people feel more relaxed about and familiar with the prospect of actual contactand familiar with the prospect of actual contact

Testing imagined contactTesting imagined contact

36 British high school students (aged 16-36 British high school students (aged 16-17) did 17) did oneone of the following tasks: of the following tasks:

Imagination taskImagination task• ““We would like you to take a minute to imagine We would like you to take a minute to imagine

yourself meeting an asylum seeker for the first yourself meeting an asylum seeker for the first time. Imagine that the interaction is positive, time. Imagine that the interaction is positive, relaxed and comfortable.”relaxed and comfortable.”

Control conditionControl condition• ““We would like you to take a minute to imagine We would like you to take a minute to imagine

yourself meeting a stranger. Imagine that the yourself meeting a stranger. Imagine that the interaction is positive, relaxed and interaction is positive, relaxed and comfortable.”comfortable.”

Testing imagined contactTesting imagined contact Participants imagined the scenario for Participants imagined the scenario for

two minutes, and then wrote down two minutes, and then wrote down what they had imaginedwhat they had imagined

We then measuredWe then measured• Attitudes towards asylum seekersAttitudes towards asylum seekers• Trustworthiness of asylum seekersTrustworthiness of asylum seekers• Desire to approach asylum seekers (e.g., get to Desire to approach asylum seekers (e.g., get to

know them, find out more about them)know them, find out more about them)

FindingsFindingsControl condition Imagined contact

condition

• Participants who imagined contact trusted asylum Participants who imagined contact trusted asylum seekers more, had more positive attitudes towards them seekers more, had more positive attitudes towards them and were more keen to get to meet and get to know and were more keen to get to meet and get to know themthem

•

Ongoing researchOngoing research

We are now investigating the effect We are now investigating the effect of extended and imagined contact of extended and imagined contact interventions on interventions on actualactual behaviour behaviour towards members of groupstowards members of groups

Suggested reading for those Suggested reading for those who are interestedwho are interested

Turner, R. N., & Feddes, A. (Turner, R. N., & Feddes, A. (in press) in press) How intergroup friendship works: A longitudinal How intergroup friendship works: A longitudinal study of friendship effects on outgroup attitudes. study of friendship effects on outgroup attitudes. European Journal of Social European Journal of Social PsychologyPsychology

Turner, R. N., Hewstone, M., & Voci, A. (2007). Turner, R. N., Hewstone, M., & Voci, A. (2007). Reducing explicit and implicit prejudice via Reducing explicit and implicit prejudice via direct and extended contact: The mediating role of self-disclosure and intergroup direct and extended contact: The mediating role of self-disclosure and intergroup anxiety. anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 369-388 369-388

Turner, R. N., Hewstone, M., Voci, A., & Vonofakou, C. (2008). A test of the extended intergroup contact hypothesis: The mediating role of intergroup anxiety, perceived ingroup and outgroup norms, and inclusion of the outgroup in the self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 843-860

Turner, R. N.,Turner, R. N., & West, K. (in press).  & West, K. (in press). Behavioural consequences of imagining Behavioural consequences of imagining intergroup contact with stigmatized outgroups. intergroup contact with stigmatized outgroups. Group Processes and Intergroup Group Processes and Intergroup Relations.Relations.

Turner, R. N.,Turner, R. N., West, K., & Christie, Z. (in press). Outgroup trust, intergroup anxiety, West, K., & Christie, Z. (in press). Outgroup trust, intergroup anxiety, and outgroup attitude as mediators of the effect of imagined intergroup contact on and outgroup attitude as mediators of the effect of imagined intergroup contact on intergroup behavioural tendencies. intergroup behavioural tendencies. Journal of Applied Social Psychology.Journal of Applied Social Psychology.

For copies, email me at r.n.turner@leeds.ac.ukFor copies, email me at r.n.turner@leeds.ac.uk