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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2026

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses

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Can intergroup contact improve humanity attributions?

Dora Capozza¹, Elena Trifiletti, Loris Vezzali

¹Department of Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy. dora.capozza@unipd.it

International Journal of Psychology : Journal International De Psychologie

|June 23, 2012

Summary

Intergroup contact reduces prejudice by decreasing group distinctions and fostering shared identity, leading to lower anxiety and increased empathy towards outgroups. This strategy promotes outgroup humanization across diverse social contexts.

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Area of Science:

Social Psychology
Intergroup Relations
Prejudice Reduction

Background:

Intergroup contact is a key strategy for improving intergroup relations.
Understanding the psychological mechanisms linking contact to positive intergroup attitudes is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate intergroup contact as a strategy for enhancing outgroup humanization.
To test a double-mediation model explaining how contact influences perceptions of outgroups.

Main Methods:

Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the proposed mediation model.
The model was tested in two distinct intergroup contexts: Italians vs. immigrants and Northern Italians vs. Southern Italians.

Main Results:

Intergroup contact was associated with reduced salience of intergroup boundaries and adoption of a common identity.
These recategorization processes mediated the effects of contact on reduced anxiety and increased empathy.
Emotions and group representations significantly mediated the link between contact and outgroup humanization.

Conclusions:

The findings support the double-mediation model, demonstrating how intergroup contact fosters positive intergroup attitudes.
Intergroup contact effectively promotes outgroup humanization by altering group representations and emotional responses.
The study highlights practical implications for interventions aimed at reducing prejudice and enhancing social cohesion.