title: The contact caveat: negative contact predicts increased prejudice more than positive contact predicts reduced prejudice.
abstract: Contact researchers have largely overlooked the potential for negative intergroup contact to increase prejudice. In Study 1, we tested the interaction between contact quantity and valence on prejudice toward Black Australians (n = 1,476), Muslim Australians (n = 173), and asylum seekers (n = 293). In all cases, the association between contact quantity and prejudice was moderated by its valence, with negative contact emerging as a stronger and more consistent predictor than positive contact. In Study 2, White Americans (n = 441) indicated how much positive and negative contact they had with Black Americans on separate measures. Although both quantity of positive and negative contact predicted racism and avoidance, negative contact was the stronger predictor. Furthermore, negative (but not positive) contact independently predicted suspicion about Barack Obama's birthplace. These results extend the contact hypothesis by issuing an important caveat: Negative contact may be more strongly associated with increased racism and discrimination than positive contact is with its reduction.
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. f.barlow@psy.uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Fiona Kate
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Barlow
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paolini
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hornsey
authors.forename: Helena R M
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Radke
authors.forename: Jake
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harwood
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: Chris G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Sibley
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D001290:Attitude; D001315:Australia; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011287:Prejudice; D063505:Racism; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012919:Social Behavior; D012933:Social Identification; D012938:Social Perception; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology