In the second part, we will discuss when and how intergroup contact works. Intergroup contact theory posits that intergroup contact can help two rival groups to reduce the prejudice and discrimination effectively, especially under certain conditions such as intergroup. But please understand that allports scheme is not a stage theory just a description of the usual way people develop. Tropp boston college the present article presents a metaanalytic test of intergroup contact theory. He rejected two of the dominant schools of thought in psychology at the time, psychoanalysis and behaviorism, in favor of his own approach that stressed the importance of individual differences and situational variables. A and the jim crow laws, gordon allport 1954 proposed one of the most important social psychological events of the 20th century, suggesting that contact between members of different groups under certain conditions can work to reduce. He relied on statistical data rather than on his personal experience. This article outlines a taxonomy of games, called team games, which.
Yet research finds that the positive effects of crossgroup. In 1954, allport proposed the intergroup contact hypothesis, which states that intergroup contact would help promote positive intergroup relations by reducing prejudice, if they occur under the right conditions. The book was written by gordon allport in the early 1950s and first published by addisonwesley in 1954. If people process massmediated parasocial interaction in a manner similar to interpersonal interaction, then the socially bene. Allport, immersed in his own culture, was taking for granted a particular assumption, which forms the basis of my book.
Intergroup contact theory has been one of the most influential theories in social psychology since it was first formulated by gordon allport in 1954. Subsequent theory and research has developed this hypothesis into a fullblown theory that makes precise predictions about the effects of different types of contact on mainly attitudinal outcomes, and how and. Popularized by scholars like allport 1954 and pettigrew 1998, this theory explains how prejudice between groups of people can decrease through collaborative, interdependent activities. The chapter outlines a longitudinal intergroup contact theory. Their findings showed that intergroup contact does decrease intergroup prejudice. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. In the years prior to allports framing of intergroup contact theory, social scientists had already begun discussing the conditions of intergroup contact that would produce intergroup anxiety, prejudice, or other detrimental psychological effects.
In addition to providing a useful commonsense framework for contact theory, allports criteria provided useful guideposts for researchers hoping to test practical interventions geared at reducing prejudice an area of great concern to researchers in the postwar years, which coincided. Allports intergroup contact theory as a theoretical base for. In the present world, it is this recognition of the benefits of contact that drives modern school exchanges and crossgroup buddy schemes. The hypothesis posits that interpersonal contact between individuals from. Allport 1954 proposes that contact between diverse groups can act. This article presents a new framework for understanding research on the intersection between language, communication, and intergroup contact. According to this theory, contact under certain conditions, such as equal status, cooperation towards a superordinate goal, and institutional support, will create a positive intergroup encounter, which, in turn, will bring about an improvement in intergroup relations. The four conditions outlined by allport are that members of the two groups involved in the intergroup contact must experience.
Journal of language and social psychology the contact. Allport 1954 proposes that contact between diverse groups can act as an effective remedy against issues such as racism, prejudice, and discrimination. The contact hypothesis the intergroup contact hypothesis was first proposed by allport 1954, who suggested that positive effects of intergroup contact occur in contact situations characterized by four key conditions. A longstanding line of research that aims to combat bias among conflicting groups springs from a theory called the contact hypothesis. Intergroup contact theory is the idea that just being around people from different races, ethnicities, religions, and other cultural backgrounds reduces prejudice. Although sit is a theory of intergroup dynamics with foundations in intergroup conflict campbell, 1965. Allports trait theory of personality isnt directly based on empirical research, and this is its biggest achilles heel. Stereotypes on intergroup contact socialization, racial. The premise of allports hypothesis states that under appropriate conditions interpersonal contact could be one of the most effective ways to reduce prejudice between majority and minority group members. Abstract allport specified four conditions for optimal intergroup contact. Past, present, and future, authorjim a c everett and diana onu, year20 jim a c everett, diana onu published 20 in the midst of racial segregation in the u. An introduction to gordon allports the nature of prejudice. Gordon allports contact hypothesis facing history and. Its just never been enough of a societal priority to actually implement it the way it would be required to make it.
For example, some people say that it doesnt consider a persons status or their temporary behavior. One of the leading theories advocated for reducing intergroup conflict is the contact hypothesis. A lot of people criticize allports trait theory of personality. Allport explored ways to reduce intergroup conflict and negative stereotypes about other racial groups minority groups from the perspective. However, in his first publication, he studied the central traits of 55 male college students with his brother, social psychologist floyd allport. At a time when behaviorism held sway in psychology departments in the u. Individual, group, and collective interests gary bornstein department of psychology and center for the study of rationality the hebrew university of jerusalem intergroup conflicts generally involve conflicts of interests within the competing groups as well. Recent advances in intergroup contact theory sciencedirect. Investigating the role of intergroup contact within an inner. The seeds of intergroup contact theory developments since allport a meta. Can social contact reduce prejudice and discrimination. Allport can be considered as the originator of the intergroup contact theory in his famous and influential book the nature of prejudice, he summarized early research on intergroup contact. Allports 1954 contact hypothesis proposed that intergroup contact is a powerful means for improving intergroup attitudes.
Allport s original conditions for optimal contact equal status, common goals, no intergroup competition, and authority sanction facilitate the effect but are not. Why, do you think, this field of intercultural communication advocates contact between different cultural groups. Allports intergroup contact hypothesis allport 1954 held that positive effects of intergroup contact occur only in situations marked by four key conditions. Journal of language and social psychology the contact space. Asian americans and african americans occupy different status positions on the u. As the starting quote of this chapter indicates, allport was well aware that intergroup contact not always reduces prejudice. The intergroup contact hypothesis was first proposed by allport 1954, who suggested that positive effects of intergroup contact occur in contact situations characterized by four key conditions. Gordon allport definition of gordon allport by medical. Analysis of intergroup contact effects has allport been suppo.
A metaanalytic test of intergroup contact theory thomas f. The application of the theory toward the improvement of intergroup relations has had the effect of concealing the fact that contact theory is fundamentally a prejudice theory and not a theory of intergroup relations. In criminology, psychology, and sociology, the contact hypothesis has been described as one of the best ways to improve relations among groups that are experiencing conflict. Allports 1954 intergroup contact theory suggested that when the groups in contact are perceived to have similar status, contact could lead to reduced prejudice and improved intergroup relations. Jan 11, 2011 this video is about the contact hypothesis see allport, 1954. Allport 1954 also says there are eight different areas of contact, causal, residential, occupational, recreational, religious, civic and fraternal, political, and goodwill intergroup activities. Allports the nature of prejudice is one of the most influential works ever written in the field of psychology. Effects of intergroup anxiety, and outgroup tolerance and. This video is about the contact hypothesis see allport, 1954. Theories and studies about reducing racial prejudice. The authors of this paper suggest conditions identified in gordon allport s contact theory may be used as a theoretical base in interprofessional education to positively impact attitudinal change of students towards working as an interprofessional team member. Varied research supports the hypothesis, but four problems remain. According to allport, properly managed contact should reduce issues of stereotyping, prejudice. We also focus on undesirable, unintended effects of intergroup contact.
Pdf the nature of prejudice download full pdf book. Developed in the 1950s by gordon allport, phd, the theory holds that contact between two groups can promote tolerance and acceptance, but only under certain conditions, such as equal status among groups and common goals. Assessing the effectiveness of gordon allports contact. Participants were college first year students participating in first year seminar classes in a small southeastern liberal arts university. Lecture fifteen intergroup contact theory, contact hypothesis. A metaanalysis with 515 studies and more than 250,000 subjects demonstrates that intergroup contact typically reduces prejudice mean r 21. Pettigrew and tropp 2006 did a metaanalysis of over 500 studies and 7 independent samples that tested the intergroup contact theory. Allports 1954 hypothesis has been used within the sport context.
Traits or dispositions now, as the proprium is developing in this way, we are also developing personal traits, or personal dispositions. In fact, he published very little research to support his theory. Allports intergroup contact theory as a theoretical base. Contact hypothesis an overview sciencedirect topics. With 7 independent samples from 515 studies, the metaanalysis finds that intergroup contact typically reduces intergroup. It distinguishes between essential and facilitating factors, and emphasizes different outcomes for different stages of contact. Allports original conditions for optimal contact equal status, common goals, no intergroup competition, and authority. Allport originally used the word traits, but found that so many people assumed.
The quality of the contact has been shown to be a better predictor than contact quantity in producing positive results schwartz and simmons, 2001. Intergroup contact theory allport, 1954 posits that optimal intergroup contact, defined as contact between different groups under a series of specific optimal conditions, contributes to the reduction of prejudice. The purpose of this study is to test gordon allports theory of contact hypothesis about cultural attitude change in college students. Allports trait theory of personality exploring your mind. The seeds of intergroup contact theory theorists and practitioners began to speculate about the effects of intergroup contact long before there was a research base to guide them. Finally, we will summarize research demonstrating how intergroup contact theory. Gordon willard allport spent nearly his entire academic career at harvard, completing both his bachelors degree and his phd at the university, and serving as a faculty member from 1930 1967. Intergroup contact theory and disability 4 related to disability and contact theory, followed by hypotheses, a section on data and methods, my findings, and ending with conclusions that can be drawn from this research. Allport 1954 says that both state and federal legislation can be used to pass antidiscrimination laws and have public agencies enforce these laws. The premise of allport s theory states that under appropriate conditions interpersonal contact is one of the most effective ways to reduce prejudice between majority and minority group members. Contact is of utmost importance in reducing prejudice and promoting a more tolerant and integrated society and as such is a prime example of the real life applications that psychology can offer the world. This volume highlights, via a critical lens, the most notable recent developments in the field, demonstrating its vitality and its capacity for reinve.
Hypothesizing intergroup contact gordon allport posited that under certain conditions, intergroup contact can reduce intergroup prejudice. Pettigrew university of california, santa cruz linda r. A selection bias limits crosssectional studies, since prejudiced people avoid intergroup contact. Allport explored ways to reduce intergroup conflict and negative stereotypes. The present chapter will introduce intergroup contact theory as one of the most prominent approaches to prejudice reduction within psychology e. The backbone of conflict prevention lies in contact theory, a sociological phenomenon identified by gordon allport in the 1950s, which posits that positive contact between persons of opposing identities lowers prejudice between them under certain conditions. On the nature of prejudice commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of gordon allports classic work on prejudice and discrimination by examining the current state of knowledge in the field. Personality theories gordon allport theory one thing that motivates human beings is the tendency to satisfy biological survival needs, which allport referred to as opportunistic functioning. We propose a communication analogue to allports 1954 contact hypothesis called the parasocial contact hypothesis pch. Beginning in 2000, pettigrew and tropp began publishing work together. The use of intergroup contact theory in sfd stems from the work of allports 1954 contact hypothesis. The contact hypothesis the intergroup contact hypothesis was first proposed by allport 1954, who suggested. Allport is often credited with the development of the contact hypothesis, also known as intergroup contact theory. Pettigrew and kerstin hammann selected, as the books most lasting contribution, its success in redefining the relation between intergroup contact and prejudice.
In the years since allports initial intergroup contact hypothesis, much research has been devoted to expanding and exploring his contact hypothesis. Mar 31, 2020 gordon allport was a pioneering psychologist often referred to as one of the founders of personality psychology. Contact theory has described a variety of ways in which contact between groups can reduce prejudice and. Investigating the role of intergroup contact within an. Pettigrew and tropp go on to say that the conditions are not independent but entwined with each other. Allport specified four conditions for optimal intergroup contact. Subsequent research supports this hypothesis, and also demonstrates its applicability to many areas of study. A and the jim crow laws, gordon allport 1954 proposed one of the most important social psychological events of the 20th century, suggesting that contact between members of different groups under certain conditions can work to reduce prejudice and intergroup conflict. In addition to providing a useful commonsense framework for contact theory, allports criteria provided useful guideposts for researchers hoping to test practical interventions geared at reducing prejudice an area of great concern to researchers in the postwar years, which coincided with the start of the civilrights movement. Gordon allports contact hypothesis has been greatly advanced over the decades into what is now called contact theory. Sep 21, 2018 however, allports trait theory of personality is considered pioneering work in the personality field. The pioneering social psychologist gordon allport hypothesized that intergroup contact lessens bias when it happens under four conditions.
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