Spontaneous imagined contact and intergroup relations: Quality matters. (5th July 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Stathi, Sofia; Guerra, Rita; Di Bernardo, Gian Antonio; Vezzali, Loris
• Is Part Of: European journal of social psychology. Volume 50:Number 1(2020)
• Page Start: 124
• Page End: 142
• Publication Date: 2019-07-05
• Subjects: anxiety -- attitudes -- empathy -- imagined contact -- intended behaviour; Social psychology -- Periodicals; 302
• DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2600
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0046-2772

Abstract

Abstract: While research on experimental interventions that aim to improve outgroup attitudes via contact imagery grows, it is important to examine if contact imagery that occurs in spontaneous, non‐experimentally controlled conditions drives attitudes, and in what direction. To answer this, we constructed and validated a spontaneous imagined intergroup contact scale (SIICS) that differentiates between frequency, quality and elaboration of the spontaneous imagery of outgroups. In three correlational studies ( N P ortugal = 305, N U nited Kingdom = 185, N I taly = 276), we tested the role of spontaneous imagined contact frequency, quality and elaboration in predicting attitudes and social distance (Studies 1–3) and intended behaviour (Study 3) toward immigrant groups. Results demonstrated that spontaneous imagined contact quality consistently predicted key outcome variables above and beyond the other two dimensions. Importantly, the effects were significant while controlling for other potent forms of direct and indirect contact. Implications of the findings for theory and practice are discussed.