Negativity bias in intergroup contact

Meta-analytical evidence that bad is stronger than good, especially when people have the opportunity and motivation to opt out of contact

Bibliographic Data

ID4421134
AuthorsStefania Paolini, Стефаниа Паолини (0000-0003-4958-1013, corresponding author), Meghann Gibbs, Brett Sales, Danielle Anderson, Kylie Mcintyre
Year2024
Volume150
Issue8
Pages921-964
Publication date2024-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychological Bulletin (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-2909 • E-ISSN: 1939-1455
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/bul0000439
PMID38934917
OpenAlexW4400086148
LanguageEN
Citations received41
References cited4

Seventy years of research on intergroup contact, or face-to-face interactions between members of opposing social groups, demonstrates that positive contact typically reduces prejudice and increases social cohesion. Extant syntheses, however, have not considered the full breadth of contact valence (positive/negative) and have treated self-selection as a threat to validity. This research bridges intergroup contact theory with sequential sampling models of impression formation to assess contact effects across all valences. From the premise that positive versus negative contact instigates differential resampling of outgroup experiences when self-selection is possible, we advance and meta-analytically test new predictions for the moderation of valenced contact effects and negativity bias as a function of people's opportunity and motivation to self-select in and out of contact. Our random-effects synthesis of positive and negative intergroup contact studies (238 independent samples, 936 nested effects; total N = 152,985) found significant valenced contact effects: Positive contact systematically associates with lower prejudice, and negative contact associates with higher prejudice. Critically, the detrimental effect of negative contact is significantly larger than the benefit of positive contact. This negativity bias is particularly pronounced under conditions in which one can self-select, is motivated to avoid contact, among male-dominated and prejudiced samples, in contact with stigmatized, low status, low socioeconomic status outgroups, along nonconcealable stigma, with nonintimate contact partners in informal settings and in collectivistic societies. Considering individuals' motivation and opportunity to self-select, together with contact valence, therefore offers a more nuanced and integrated platform to design contact-based interventions and policies across varied contact ecologies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved

Contact hypothesis · Contact theory · Developmental psychology · Eye contact · In-group favoritism · Ingroups and outgroups · Outgroup · Prejudice (legal term · Social group · Social identity theory · Valence (chemistry · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology

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