title: Obstacles to intergroup contact: when outgroup partner's anxiety meets perceived ethnic discrimination.
abstract: Emerging research suggests that outgroup partner's anxiety can disrupt intergroup rapport-building. This study extends previous findings by investigating the interactive effects of anticipated outgroup partner's anxiety and perceived ethnic discrimination on self-anxiety and intergroup contact avoidance. A sample of immigrant adolescents belonging to different ethnic minorities in Italy (N = 118) was considered. Results showed that when participants expected to interact with an anxious outgroup (Italian) versus in-group partner, self-anxiety increased and, as a consequence, their intentions to avoid future encounters. However, these effects were observed only for participants with higher (vs. lower) perceptions of being discriminated against. The implications of these results for interethnic communication and misunderstandings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Andrighetto
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Durante
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lugani
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Volpato
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mirisola
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000415:Albania / Q000208:ethnology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D011287:Prejudice / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012931:Social Environment; D012933:Social Identification; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult