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Bridging the gap on Facebook: assessing intergroup contact and its effects for intergroup relations
Sandy Schumann1, Nicolas van der Linden, Olivier Klein
1Social Psychology Unit, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium. sandy.schumann@ulb.ac.be
Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking
|July 25, 2012
Summary
Online intergroup contact in Facebook groups can reduce prejudice and increase acceptance. This study shows that while online contact lessens prejudice, its effect on mutual acceptance requires further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Media Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Allport's contact hypothesis suggests direct intergroup contact reduces prejudice.
- Face-to-face contact is not always feasible for intergroup interaction.
- Online platforms like Facebook groups may offer alternative settings for intergroup contact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if Facebook groups facilitate direct and observed intergroup contact.
- To examine the impact of online intergroup contact on prejudice reduction and mutual acceptance.
- To explore the relationship between intergroup contact and group-based motivations within online communities.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of comments from nine Facebook groups using a destructive and constructive conflict scale.
- Longitudinal assessment of prejudice expression and mutual acceptance over time.
- Examination of intergroup contact's predictive power on observed outcomes.
Main Results:
- Prejudice expression decreased, and mutual acceptance expression increased over time within Facebook groups.
- Intergroup contact significantly predicted reduced prejudice expression.
- The predictive effect of intergroup contact on mutual acceptance was not significant.
Conclusions:
- Facebook groups can serve as a platform for intergroup contact, leading to reduced prejudice.
- The dynamics of online intergroup contact and its influence on mutual acceptance warrant further research.
- Findings are discussed in relation to media practices and group-based motivations.
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