Mental imagery and prejudice reduction: imagining intergroup contact improves attitudes toward dehumanized outgroups

According to the contact hypothesis (Allport, 1954), face-to-face interaction between individuals of opposing groups lead to more positive outgroup attitudes. Intergroup contact theory has stimulated a large body of research and has received support across a variety of settings and social groups (Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006). More recently, a number of forms of contact beyond face-to-face have received increasing attention. Thus, research has shown that imagining intergroup contact (i.e., imagined contact) can improve outgroup attitudes. More in detail, imagined contact combines the assumptions posed by the contact hypothesis with the findings about the impact of mental simulation on social behaviour (Crisp et al., 2010). Accordingly, research has shown that imagining an intergroup encounter curtails intergroup anxiety and extends the attribution of perceivers’ positive traits to others (Crisp et al., 2010; Turner et al., 2007). The present experiment aimed at extending previous studies investigating whether imagined contact reduces hostility toward a variety of target groups. Research on direct contact showed that the relationship between actual contact and prejudice reduction remains significant across samples involving different stereotyped groups (Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006). However, no prior study on imagined contact has systematically investigated whether imagining an intergroup encounter promotes more positive attitudes toward outgroups that are ascribed different stereotypes. More importantly, prior research failed to investigate whether imagined contact could encourage more positive attitudes toward de-humanized groups (i.e., groups that face pervasive discrimination and are ascribed extremely negative stereotypes). Thus, linking research on imagined contact to the stereotype content research, we aimed at investigating whether imagined contact reduces intergroup hostility toward social groups varying on the two fundamental dimensions of group perception: warmth and competence (Fiske, Cuddy, & Glick 2007). The experiment employed a 2 (task: imagined contact vs. control) × 2 (warmth: high vs. low) × 2 (competence: high vs. low) between-subject design. Thus, depending on the experimental condition, participants (N=116) imagined either an intergroup encounter with an outgroup member differently stereotyped on warmth and competence (i.e., Chinese, Canadian, Albanian, and Filipino) or an outdoor scene. Specifically, in the experimental condition, participants were asked to imagine themselves meeting an outgroup member for the first time. Participants were further asked to imagine talking with the stranger and discovering interesting, positive, and unexpected things about that stranger. By contrast, in the control condition participants were asked to imagine a no-contact control scene involving a walk in the outdoors (see Husnu & Crisp, 2010; Stathi & Crisp, 2008). Outgroup attitude and the intention to engage in future actual contact served as criterion variables. Results showed that imagining an intergroup encounter improves attitudes and promotes greater intentions to engage in future actual contact with social groups differently perceived on warmth and competence dimensions. Moreover, the effect of imagined contact on the intentions to engage in future face-to-face encounters was mediated by intergroup attitudes. These findings nicely complement previous research showing that imagined contact can prove effective at improving attitudes toward a wide range of social groups even de-humanized groups, perceived as neither warm nor competent. Furthermore, by showing the mediating role of intergroup attitudes on intentions to engage in future actual contact, we advance our understanding of the underlying emotional mechanisms of imagined contact effects.

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