When Does Imagined Contact Work? Understanding and Improving an Indirect Intervention to Reduce Intergroup Conflict

Social psychological research has shown that contact between members of different groups can improve intergroup relations, such as reducing prejudice and improving collective action for members of other social groups. However, having contact with other social groups is not always possible because of various reasons, including geographical distance or social segregation, and contact may even be difficult or unsafe in situations of ongoing conflict.

Imagined intergroup contact offers a potential solution in such cases. As a form of indirect contact, imagined contact is a simple and low-cost intervention in which people are asked to mentally simulate a positive interaction with a member of another social group. Because it does not require actual interaction between groups, imagined contact could be particularly useful in situations where direct contact is difficult or impossible.

Research has shown that imagined contact improves outgroup attitudes, reduces prejudice, and promote more positive intergroup intentions and behavior. However, the evidence is not consistent. Some studies have found positive effects, whereas others have found no effects. In some circumstances, imagined contact can even have unintended negative consequences and increase intergroup anxiety or prejudice. This suggests that we need a better understanding of when, how, and for whom imagined contact works.

The aim of this thesis project is to investigate the conditions under which imagined contact can be an effective intervention for improving intergroup relations. Depending on the student's interests, the project could examine different ways of designing imagined-contact interventions, potential psychological mechanisms, individual differences, or contextual factors that determine whether the intervention succeeds or fails. The student will have considerable input into the specific research questions and design.

Possible research questions include:

1. When does imagined contact reduce prejudice, when does it have no effect, and why?
2. Which characteristics of an imagined-contact intervention make it more or less effective?
3. To what extent does the way people imagine the interaction influence its effectiveness?
4. For whom does imagined contact work best?
5. How can an improved imagined-contact intervention be developed to more effectively reduce intergroup prejudice or conflict?
6. Are some forms of imagined contact more effective in high-conflict contexts than in relatively low-conflict contexts?

These are examples rather than fixed research questions. The student is encouraged to develop a specific research question based on their interests.

The student will design and implement an experimental study to test different versions of an imagined-contact intervention and examine their effects on prejudice, intergroup attitudes, emotions, contact intentions, or behavior. Depending on the research question, the experiment can be complemented by correlational or qualitative approaches. The exact methodology will be determined together with the student.

Imagined contact; intergroup conflict; prejudice reduction; intergroup relations

If you are interested in this assignment, please contact Iris van Sintemaartensdijk via i.vansintemaartensdijk@utwente.nl. The assignment is open to 2 students.

Available anytime. 

Crisp, R. J., & Turner, R. N. (2009). Can imagined interactions produce positive perceptions? Reducing prejudice through simulated social contact. American Psychologist, 64(4), 231-240. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014718

Firat, M., & Ataca, B. (2020). When does imagined contact reduce prejudice? No evidence that in-group identification moderates the imagined contact effect. Social Psychology, 51(4), 254-266. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000413

Hoffarth, M. R., & Hodson, G. (2016). Who needs imagined contact? Replication attempts examining previous contact as a potential moderator. Social Psychology, 47(2), 118-124. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000258

Miles, E., & Crisp, R. J. (2014). A meta-analytic test of the imagined contact hypothesis. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 17(1), 3-26. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430213510573

West, K., & Greenland, K. (2016). Beware of “reducing prejudice”: Imagined contact may backfire if applied with a prevention focus. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 46(10), 583-592. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12387

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