Imagined Intergroup Contact and Common Ingroup Identity An Integrative Approach

Vezzali, Loris; Stathi, Sofia; Crisp, Richard J.; Giovannini, Dino; Capozza, Dora; Gaertner, Samuel L.

Abstract

Abstract. We conducted two studies involving two different age groups (elementary school children and adults) aimed at integrating imagined contact and common ingroup identity models. In the first study, Italian elementary school children were asked to imagine interacting with an unknown immigrant peer as members of a common group. Results revealed that common ingroup imagined contact, relative to a control condition, improved outgroup helping intentions assessed 1 week and 2 weeks after the intervention. In the second study, common ingroup imagined contact led Italian university students to display higher intentions to have contact with immigrants compared to control conditions. In conclusion, results from both studies demonstrate that imagining an intergroup interaction as members of the same group strengthens the effects of imagined contact. These findings point to the importance of combining the common ingroup identity model and the imagined contact theory in order to increase the potentiality of prejudice reduction interventions.

Citation

Vezzali, L., Stathi, S., Crisp, R. J., Giovannini, D., Capozza, D., & Gaertner, S. L. (2015). Imagined Intergroup Contact and Common Ingroup Identity An Integrative Approach. Social Psychology, 46(5), 265-276. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000242

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 25, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Jul 3, 2015
• Publication Date: 2015
• Deposit Date: Aug 23, 2017
• Journal: Zeitschrift für Sozialpsychologie
• Print ISSN: 1864-9335
• Electronic ISSN: 2151-2590
• Publisher: Hogrefe
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 46
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 265-276
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000242
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1378462