Dispositional empathy and personality as predictors of contact quality: The mediating roles of contact self-efficacy and effort towards contact

Birtel, Michèle D.; Di Bernardo, Gian Antonio; Vezzali, Loris; Turner, Rhiannon N.; Crisp, Richard J.; Martin, Robin

Abstract

While the prejudice-reduction effect of intergroup contact has been extensively demonstrated, research identifying antecedents of positive contact and underlying mechanisms is limited. Two studies, in Italy (N = 239 Italian adolescents) and the UK (N = 299 White British adults), examined dispositional empathy and personality traits as predictors of contact quality, with effort towards contact and contact self-efficacy as underlying mechanisms. Study 1 revealed that empathic concern and extraversion was associated with higher contact quality with immigrants in Italy via greater contact effort. Study 2 replicated and extended these findings, showing that contact self-efficacy and then contact effort sequentially mediated the associations of empathic concern and personality (extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness) with contact quality with Asian British in the UK. Perspective-taking was not associated with contact quality. Our findings highlight the value of integrating dispositional/personality, social cognitive and intergroup approaches in the study of antecedents of contact quality and underlying mechanisms, with implications for the design of prejudice-interventions.

Citation

Birtel, M. D., Di Bernardo, G. A., Vezzali, L., Turner, R. N., Crisp, R. J., & Martin, R. (2024). Dispositional empathy and personality as predictors of contact quality: The mediating roles of contact self-efficacy and effort towards contact. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 102, Article 101986. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2024.101986

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 9, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Jul 17, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-09
• Deposit Date: May 13, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 19, 2024
• Journal: International Journal of Intercultural Relations
• Print ISSN: 0147-1767
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 102
• Article Number: 101986
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2024.101986
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2438079