Lecture 10: Intergroup Interactions

Question 1

Richeson & Shelton Interracial Interactions Study

Answer 1

Participants went through a same-race or cross-race interaction for 10-15 mins. After, they completed a measure of “executive control”, the Stroop task. Finally, they completed an IAT. Participants who reported more pro-White implicit bias on the IAT had the most difficulty with the Stroop Task following a cross-race interaction (fewer cognitive resources leftover)

Question 2

measure of executive control

Answer 2

determines how many cognitive resources you have available

Question 3

Stroop task

Answer 3

must name the ink colour that spells out the names of other colours

Question 4

motivation & intergroup interactions

Answer 4

One’s motivation to control prejudiced responses is a strong predictor of the quality of intergroup interactions

Question 5

Asby Plant & Patricia Devine

Answer 5

divided motivation to control prejudice into “internal motivation” & “external motivation”

Question 6

distribution of internal motivation to control prejudice

Answer 6

The internal motivation to control prejudice is negatively skewed; most people are internally motivated to control prejudice

Question 7

distribution of external motivation to control prejudice

Answer 7

The external motivation to control prejudice is normally distributed

Question 8

are internal and external motivation to control prejudice correlated?

Answer 8

no

Question 9

behaviours of White participants high in internal motivation

Answer 9

are concerned about showing respect toward Black interaction partners (affiliative behaviour)

Question 10

behaviours of white participants high in external motivation

Answer 10

more self-focused, concerned about not appearing prejudiced in the eyes of the Black interaction partner (self-regulated behaviour)

Question 11

external motivation to control prejudice was associated with

Answer 11

• Concerns about appearing prejudiced
• Self-focused behavioural intentions

Question 12

internal motivation to control prejudice was associated with

Answer 12

• Concerns about being respectful
• Partner-focused behavioural intentions
• Actual respectful behaviour in the get-to-know-you video

Question 13

contact hypothesis (Allport)

Answer 13

Interpersonal contact between groups will improve intergroup relations

Question 14

higher levels of intergroup contact are associated with

Answer 14

• Increased knowledge about outgroup
• Increased empathy with outgroup
• Reduced intergroup anxiety
• Reduced implicit & explicit prejudice
• Reduced outgroup threat

Question 15

optimal conditions for contact

Answer 15

1. support of authorities
2. equal status
3. common goals
4. cooperation
5. contact as individuals

Question 16

support from authorities

Answer 16

authorities support friendly, egalitarian contact and interaction between groups

Question 17

equal status

Answer 17

members of groups have similar social status within a situation

Question 18

Blanchard equal status study

Answer 18

cooperation backfires when a clear status hierarchy exists and often results in scapegoating behaviour (blaming an outgroup partner for a shared loss)

Question 19

cooperation

Answer 19

groups work together to attain goals

Question 20

Brown cooperation correlation study

Answer 20

athletes in team sports who had high contact with their teammates were less prejudiced. Demonstrates that both contact & cooperation produce less prejudice

Question 21

contact as individuals

Answer 21

opportunities to know outgroup members as individuals in informal settings

Question 22

example of contact as a public policy

Answer 22

The Central Council of Jews in Germany launched a program called “Meet a Jew”, which seeks to introduce Jews to non-Jews at events through Germany with the aim to humanize Jews amid years of rising antisemitic violence. Through the program, 350 volunteers have been visiting public locations to talk about themselves in an ask-me-anything style

Question 23

why do people hesitate to initiate intergroup friendships?

Answer 23

1. Worry they won’t know how to act
2. Anticipate anxiety
3. Expect to have a more negative experience than reality suggests
4. Worry about rejection

Question 24

white people’s worry about contact with Black people

Answer 24

Black people will think they’re prejudiced

Question 25

Black people’s worry about contact with white people

Answer 25

White people hold negative stereotypes about their group

Question 26

people’s perceptions about the interest & reject of their cross-racial partner

Answer 26

People believe that they’re the only one afraid of rejection and that only the other person isn’t interested

Question 27

perceptions of intergroup contact vs. actual intergroup contact

Answer 27

Dunn et al., 2007: people think intergroup contact will be less positive than it really is

Question 28

extended contact

Answer 28

having a friend with an outgroup friend

Question 29

extended contact & levels of prejudice

Answer 29

associated with lower levels of prejudice

Question 30

why does extended contact reduce prejudice?

Answer 30

• Reduces intergroup anxiety
• Changes perception of norms
• Cognitive consistency “The friend of my friend must also be my friend”

Question 31

imagined contact & levels of prejudice

Answer 31

associated with lower levels of prejudice

Question 32

parasocial contact

Answer 32

Experiences with outgroup members via mass communication

Question 33

parasocial contact & prejudice

Answer 33

associated with lower levels of prejudice

Question 34

negative intergroup contact

Answer 34

Negative experiences with outgroup members that result in increased prejudice

Question 35

prevalence & effect of negative intergroup contact

Answer 35

Less common than positive contact, but more influential on prejudice when it does happen

Question 36

why is negative intergroup contact so influential?

Answer 36

if you have a negative encounter with an outgroup member, you’re more likely to generalize to their entire outgroup compared to having a positive encounter

Question 37

intergroup contact & support for social change for advantaged groups

Answer 37

For members of advantaged groups, greater intergroup contact is associated with higher support for social change

Question 38

intergroup contact & support for social change for disadvantaged groups

Answer 38

For members of disadvantaged groups, greater intergroup contact is associated with lower support for social change

Question 39

Hassler et al., 2019

Answer 39

measured support for social change in a variety of ways across members of ethnic majorities vs. minorities and among cis-heterosexuals & LGBTQ+ individuals. Found that the only outcome that was positively associated with intergroup contact for both disadvantaged and advantaged group members was willingness to work in solidarity.

Question 40

willingness to work in solidarity

Answer 40

assessed the degree to which group members would form intergroup connections to bring about justice

Question 41

among advantaged groups, what might willingness to work in solidarity reflect?

Answer 41

a recognition that social change is the responsibility of many in the larger society as a whole rather than a burden to be carried solely by members of disadvantaged groups

Question 42

Schindler & Westcott, 2020

Answer 42

looked at how troop placement in WWll in England is associated with racial attitudes. Individuals in areas of the UK where more Black troops were posted are more tolerant (implicit attitudes, explicit attitudes, and political orientation) towards minorities 60 years after the last troops left.

Question 43

the takeaway from Schindler & Westcott’s study

Answer 43

Demonstrates that effects must be at least partly due to intergenerational transmission and the power of cultural norms