Extended Contact

From wars and genocide to stereotypes and prejudice, the world is full of examples of group-based hostilities and biases. To counter these negative intergroup attitudes and behaviors, social psychologists have long since encouraged members of opposing groups to engage in face-to-face interactions with one another under optimal conditions, for example cooperating with one another to achieve shared goals. Decades of research have highlighted the positive impact of such intergroup contact on intergroup relations. The power of intergroup contact is exemplified by a relatively recent empirical development, referred to as extended contact. According to this approach, simply knowing or observing an in-group member who has a close relationship with an out-group member can be sufficient to improve intergroup relations. In this way, contact has a ripple ...