Showing papers by "Stephen C. Wright published in 1997"

The extended contact effect: Knowledge of cross-group friendships and prejudice.

Abstract: The extended contact hypothesis proposes that knowledge that an in-group member has a close relationship with an out-group member can lead to more positive intergroup attitudes. Proposed mechanisms are the in-group or out-group member serving as positive exemplars and the inclusion of the out-group member's group membership in the self. In Studies I and 2, respondents knowing an in-group member with an out-group friend had less negative attitudes toward that out-group, even controlling for disposition.il variables and direct out-group friendships. Study 3, with constructed intergroup-conflict situations (on the robbers cave model). found reduced negative out-group attitudes after participants learned of cross-group friendships. Study 4, a minimal group experiment, showed less negative out-group attitudes for participants observing an apparent in-group-out-group friendship. The intergroup contact hypothesis (Allport, 1954; Williams, 1947) proposes that under a given set of circumstances contact between members of different groups reduces existing negative intergroup attitudes. Some recent research (reviewed below) suggests that the effect may be most clearly associated with the specific contact of a friendship relationship. The extended contact hypothesis, which we introduce here, proposes that knowledge that an in-group member has a close relationship with an out-group member can lead to more positive intergroup attitudes. This article presents the rationale for the extended contact effect, including three mechanisms by which it may operate, and four methodologically diverse studies to demonstrate the phenomenon.

Ambiguity, Social Influence, and Collective Action: Generating Collective Protest in Response to Tokenism

Abstract: Social identity theory (SIT) proposes that disadvantaged group members take collective action only when intergroup boundaries are believed to be impermeable and in-group status is perceived as illegitimate and unstable. In North America, the actual permeability of intergroup boundaries is often ambiguous, and decisions to take collective action are made against a dominant ideology of individual mobility. This research used the context of tokenism-highly restricted boundary permeability-to reflect this social reality and to test the impact of referent informational influence and information from a salient out-group on endorsement of collective action. In Experiment 1, information from an in-group member describing tokenism as illegitimate and demonstrating a norm of anger increased interest in collective action. In Experiment 2, messages from the advantaged out-group focusing attention on collective injustice also increased interest in collective behavior. Findings support SIT; while highlighting the impac...