Intergroup Contact

Key Words: increase e-democracy, projects

Explanation:
Explains what components are necessary for a strong e-democracy (i.e., transparency) as well as what tools support the sharing of ideas in virtual platforms (i.e., chat rooms, survey tools).

Abstract:
This review explores which online tools encore public participation and expression. Additionally, there is dialogue regarding aspects of democracy (i.e., autonomy, transparency) that create a respectful space and promote multi-party dialogue. Information is provided as well about strategies for public participation, included but not limited to agenda-formation, discussions, and educational exploration.

Key Words: citizen engagement, online e-democracy

Explanation:
This article provides an overview of the way in which social networking applications can increase citizen engagement.

Abstract:

Social networking applications often share many characteristics that impact the way in which people interact, who they interact with, and their algorithms. These platforms create a place for political discussion online with different parties and encourage interaction between users in different geographical areas. These applications also do play a role in government activism, through increased awareness of social movements, networking, community development, shared ideas, internal governance to prevent extremism or anti-social behavior, and more.

Key Words: leadership initiatives, counter radicalism, online

Explanation: Radicalism in Pakistan has gotten increasingly worse – as well as internationally – and given the fast-paced work of extremists to spread their ideology, policies must be organized and established to stop the spread of hate.

Abstract:
Extremism internationally is growing at an alarming rate, and access to the media continues to perpetuate hate. In Pakistan in particular, there is discussion of public initiatives that can be created and implemented to counter hate, and more specifically, to prevent youth from falling into the extremism trap.

Key Words: increase a-democracy

Explanation: The effects of e-democracy on citizen participation in the Maghreb region.

Abstract:
A study shows that e-democracy increases citizen participation and overall transparency. It was also found that the addition of a strong e-democracy limited any corruption and accountability, thereby creating a stronger society as well as trust between citizens and their representatives.

Key Words: online superordinate goals, mediate

Explanation: Participants play videogames with outgroup members to assess reductions in negative attitudes and increases in positive feelings.

Abstract:
The results of this study indicate that collaborative video-game play between an ingroup and outgroup member results in more favorable attitudes toward the general outgroup population. The researchers found this to be the case particularly in the case of derogatory language use between in-group members and outward attitude expressions. In other words, ingroup members began speaking more respectfully about outgroup members within their own group and showed more warmth as well.

Key Words: leadership initiatives, counter hate, online

Explanation: Teaching younger generations what hate speech is and how they can best respond to what they see.

Abstract:
In addition to providing information about what online hate means and what extremism is, the majority of this reading focuses on the ways in which adults can help adolescents / kids learn about online hate, to prepare them in the case that they encounter it. Adults are encouraged to: talk about the emotional effects of hate, teach kids how to critically think and verify misinformation, report hate, provide resources and environment that is safe if there is an upsetting instance of hate that the kid encounters.

Key Words: online, educational programs, reduce prejudice

Explanation:
The Urban Youth Vocational Training Project is a field experiment that was conducted in Nigeria to see if constant contact in an educational setting reduced deep-rooted biases and discrimination in a divided society. Participants included Christian and Muslim young men who specifically reside in a hostile, hate-ridden neighborhood of Nigeria.

Abstract:
Participants in this study were assigned to a religiously homogeneous or heterogeneous classroom, and were also assigned to a learning partner – either an ingroup or outgroup member. Participants’ behavior was measured via surveys as well as through behavioral games. The end of this experiment saw significant reductions in participants' negative attitudes toward outgroup members, specifically from individuals in the heterogeneous educational setting after such constant contact. There continued to be hostility and prejudice in the homogenous setting.

Key Words: campaigns, promote social harmony

Explanation:
Building a bridge/increasing contact between members of advantaged and disadvantaged groups via the Integrated Contact-Collective Action Model. For means of increasing social justice/change for both groups, since both advantaged and disadvantaged populations face high levels of discrimination.

Abstract:
This article uses the Integrated Contact-Collective Action Model and speaks to different mechanisms with which to promote social change. This reading addresses perceptions of inequality based on social category, hierarchy and identity (i.e., minority and majority group identities, power, accessibility to resources), group ideologies and existing inequalities, and informative ways to bridge the gap between different groups. Intimate positive contact is a suggested condition that can help to positively impact prejudice and discrimination levels. When there are situations in which minority members report positive interactions with majority group members, there is a notable sense of empowerment. The researchers add, importantly, that contact interventions can also show significant results when there is a mutual climate of trust.

Key Words: online projects, increase group harmony

Explanation: Teaching kids in educational spaces how they can use technology to promote digital wellness.

Abstract:
Social-emotional learning is the main terminology endorsed – how kids and adults can learn and develop skills and attitudes to develop healthy relationships, manage their emotions, achieve goals, feel and show empathy, create and preserve healthy relationships, and make responsible decisions. Many schools are promoting technology as a means to teach kids how to emotionally regulate and label their feelings. Specifically, teachers use a digital citizenship application for older children in middle school and up to teach students how to use their SEL skills in digital environments – showing empathy, perspective, and self-awareness where it is appropriate. There are suggestions to use videogames to develop communication skills, to learn social awareness skills as a means to counter cyberbullying, and ways to create a positive online presence. Applications suggested for at-home use include: SEL with Families and Caregivers, Inner Explorer @ Home, Harmony @ Home, and The Play at Home Guide.

Our Keywords: Contact hypothesis

Article’s keywords: ICT schools bridge-building social cohesion, Foreign Countries ,information technology, international cooperation, internet, Interpersonal Relationship, models, professional development, Program Evaluation, Social Integration ,Special Needs Students.

Summary: contact hypothesis check between “mainstream” and “special” schools, plus schools in different parts of Ireland (norther and the republic). Contact between schools helped, both in for teachers and students.

Abstract: This paper reports on the evaluation of a major programme which is using telecommunications to link teachers and pupils both across the political boundary between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and across the boundaries of ‘mainstream’ schooling and those children in ‘special schools’. The paper examines the ‘contact hypothesis’ as a theoretical model for educational work supported by ICT and considers the impact of the programme on both teachers and students. It concludes that contact based on sustained curricular and social interaction has an effect on children's perceptions of each other. This effect is most marked when contact is between two schools, one on each side of the border. The author suggests that the management of the programme, based on a bi–lateral agreement between two government departments and a partnership between two universities with other key stakeholders, provides a model of international cooperation.

Our Keywords: identity

Article’s keywords: Cross-national, Co-operation, IctCurriculum
Summary: Awareness of pupils to the cultural identity of distant peers through online conferencing + extra benefits for their self identity (responsibility, self-esteem & motivation).

Abstract: This article reports research on cross-national co-operation through Information and Communications Technology (ICT) within the statutory curricula of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, the views and experiences of teachers in partner schools in the north and south of Ireland were sought on the capacity and potential of asynchronous computer conferencing and videoconferencing to generate collaborative work in a cross-border setting, to promote cultural awareness among primary and post-primary pupils, and to improve teacher and pupil competence in ICT. The results showed a significant improvement in ICT competence, and also revealed that technical training, enthusiasm and commitment were the key factors for success, and that not only did the pupils develop an awareness of the cultural identity of distant peers, but their sense of responsibility, self-esteem and motivation grew. This particularly helped less able and quieter pupils. There was unexpected rôle reversal when children helped their teachers within an ICT context, a situation not found elsewhere in the curriculum. Additionally, there were beneficial effects on literacy, group work and independent learning, and the skills acquired were transferable. The commitment of the teachers to continue this cross-national work with limited support is a measure of its potential sustainability.

Our Keywords: Contact hypothesis, identity

Article’s keywords: Computer Uses in Education, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, Foreign Countries, Modern History professional development, Secondary School Students Skill Development, teacher education teaching methods, Teleconferencing, World Problems.

Summary: Through online contact with different groups, kids can enjoy a reduced outgroup conflict, while building positive self-identity for their ingroup.

Abstract: Computer conferencing can aid in conflict resolution by developing discourse skills. This article examines conflict resolution and computer conferencing as a channel for discourse and describes three computer conferences involving secondary school students, teacher education students, and teachers in Northern Ireland, Europe, and the United Kingdom on contemporary world issues, modern history, and professional development. (PEN)

Our Keywords: Contact hypothesis

Article’s keywords: Blended learning for community cohesion

Summary: Teachers report on outgroup pupils on-and-off-line meetings, and this contacts’ positive attributes to pupils perceptions on each other

Abstract: This article presents research from teachers in Northern Ireland who completed a course on ‘blended learning’ to link schools involved in Shared Education. This is the Northern Ireland policy to bring pupils from different schools together to work collaboratively. Important findings showed that prior to 2017, when teachers received training in blended learning, nearly all contact between their schools was face to face. After the training, teachers stated that the use of a virtual learning environment (VLE) was used as much as face-to-face contact. The VLE had the greatest impact on pupils’ knowledge and attitudes towards each other. Teachers reported that this approach made a positive impact on friendship development, the capacity of children to work together, respect for difference and normalising relations between their pupils. Two thirds of the teachers agreed that equal importance be given to online learning and face-to-face contact in future planning.

Our Keywords: Contact hypothesis

Article’s keywords: citizenship; collaborative learning; contact hypothesis; information communication technology (ICT); inter-cultural education; knowledge-construction.

Summary: this article is stating four key drivers that could encourage schools to use collaborative software (a. speed b. skills development for the pupils c. wider curriculum d. extending the concept of contact hypothesis).

Abstract: This article indicates that there are four key drivers for school-based use of collaborative software; a. The speed at which ‘social software’ has been taken up by young people outside school which has led some educationists to review the potential of such software in more formal school settings. b. Helping pupils to develop ’knowledge construction skills’ which are relevant to a knowledge economy. c. Enabling more pupils to access a wider curriculum. d. The promotion of inter-cultural education through citizenship. In the case of the fourth driver, the article examines in detail the research basis for extending the concept of the ’contact hypothesis’ through communication technology. It uses evidence to show that well managed on-line collaboration between school-based students can be a powerful vehicle for intercultural education through citizenship.

Our keyword: Contact Hypothesis.

Keywords: Contact hypothesis, Virtual groups, Computer-mediated communication, Prejudice, Social information processing theory, Social identification/deindividuation theory

Summary:
• The study integrated CMC (computer mediated communication) theory with the intergroup contact hypothesis.
• Virtual teamwork can help reduce prejudice between groups.
• The study provides strong evidence that virtual teamwork can cause a decrease in prejudice between groups.
• When people had positive personal experiences with individuals from different groups, they tended to have better attitudes towards that entire group.

Abstract: The promise of computer-mediated communication (CMC) to reduce intergroup prejudice has generated mixed results. Theories of CMC yield alternative and mutually exclusive explanations about mechanisms by which CMC fosters relationships online with potential to ameliorate prejudice. This research tests contact-hypothesis predictions and two CMC theories on multicultural, virtual groups who communicated during a yearlong online course focusing on educational technology. Groups included students from the three major Israeli education sectors—religious Jews, secular Jews, and Muslims—who completed pretest and posttest prejudice measures. Two sets of control subjects who did not participate in virtual groups provided comparative data. An interaction of the virtual groups experience × religious/cultural membership affected prejudice toward different religious/cultural target groups, by reducing prejudice toward the respective outgroups for whom the greatest initial enmity existed. Comparisons of virtual group participants to control subjects further support the influence of the online experience. Correlations between prejudice with group identification and with interpersonal measures differentiate which theoretical processes pertained.

Our keyword: Contact hypothesis.

Keywords: Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC), Interethnic, Intergroup, Hyperpersonal

Summary: This essay discusses using computer-mediated communication to improve relationships between different groups. By looking at research from different areas, the essay suggests ways to bring diverse groups together and reduce conflict.

Abstract: This essay concerns applications of computer-mediated communication (CMC) research in groups toward the enhancement of relations between members of potentially hostile ethnopolitical groups. The characteristics of CMC offer several possible means of facilitating the reduction of animosity through online contact among intergroup constituents. The scatter of applicable findings across disciplines, and imprecision in theoretical appropriations, have inhibited advancement of applied research in this context. This essay examines findings from management, intergroup, and interpersonal approaches to CMC, and provides some examples, suggesting opportunities for synthesis and the development of starting points to design the arrangement of diverse online groups that may help reduce conflict among otherwise antagonistic members.

Our keyword: Contact hypothesis.

Keywords: Computer-mediated communication, Internet, language

Summary: This article discusses research on how language and communication technology affect relationships. The research looks at topics like expressing emotions online, managing conversations, and using technology to reduce prejudice. As communication technology evolves, researchers continue to explore how it affects language and communication.

Abstract: In 2004, the second International Association of Language and Social Psychology Task Force focused on relationships involving language and emerging communication
technology, culminating in a Special Issue of the Journal of Language and Social Psychology (Vol. 23, No. 4). The present article reviews the topics and conclusions of that work and traces the continuation of study on those topics as they have evolved and influenced language and social psychology research to the present. Communication technology research offers views on the central question of how individuals adapt language to communicative action in the presence or absence of various nonverbal cue systems. This question is reflected in topics such as the expression of affect and immediacy online, the virtual presentation of self and gender, the management of online conversations, adaptation via visual grounding in electronic collaboration, and the employment of online interaction technology to reduce intergroup prejudice. As communication systems have evolved, interfaces offer new cues and representations of users, which continue to propel inquiry into these central questions about language and its usage within various technological contexts.

Keywords: none. Ours: Contact theory

Summary: This chapter provides a critical assessment of the integrative theory of intergroup contact, which builds upon Allport's classic 'Contact Hypothesis' and incorporates theoretical and empirical developments over the past 50 years. The authors aim to provide a rapprochement of apparently contradictory accounts and suggest that there is ample evidence to support the beneficial effects of contact on intergroup attitudes and behavior. The article also discusses how this rapprochement can be achieved.

Abstract: This chapter examines an integrative theory of intergroup contact. We begin with a brief reassessment of Allport's (1954) classic 'Contact Hypothesis'. Although Allport was by no means the first to advocate bringing groups together as a means of prejudice reduction (Watson, 1947; Williams, 1947), his theorizing in The Nature of Prejudice has justly acquired landmark status because of its lucid exposition, penetrating insights, and careful analysis of the social conditions likely to facilitate the beneficial effects of contact on intergroup attitudes and behavior. As we shall show, there is now ample evidence to support his basic contentions. However, the past 50 years have also seen important theoretical and empirical developments of the Contact Hypothesis. In this article, we aim to provide a critical assessment of these developments, focusing mainly on our own model, which provided the point of departure for our own broad research program on contact over nearly 20 years. Although our original model was conceived partly as a riposte to Brewer and Miller's (1984) principal hypothesis, and it contrasts in key respects with Gaertner and Dovidio's (2000) subsequent alternative, the evidence that has accumulated, both from our own research and that of others, now suggests to us that some rapprochement of these apparently contradictory accounts is not only possible but also highly desirable. Later in the article, we discuss how this might be achieved. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Keywords: bias, categorization, collective action, contact theory, group processes, health disparities, intergroup contact, intergroup relations, prejudice, prejudice reduction.

Summary: This article reviews recent developments in research on the contact hypothesis, which has broadened its scope beyond the direct relationship between antecedents and outcomes of intergroup contact. The authors suggest several research directions to address theoretical and practical issues and argue that contact theory provides a foundation for important new advances in improving intergroup relations and producing equitable outcomes.

Abstract: Classic research on the contact hypothesis focused on the direct relationship between the antecedents (conditions under which contact occurs) and the outcomes (primarily, the reduction of prejudice) of intergroup contact. Recent work has taken a broader view of contact processes and effects. We review key developments over the past 20 years, identifying different forms of contact, factors that mediate and moderate the effects of contact, and both the nature and temporal stage and the varied outcomes of contact. We then identify several research directions to address pressing theoretical and practical issues. These issues concern (a) group processes and intergroup relations, (b) intergroup contact in the context of multiple categorization, (c) structural- and individual-level processes, (d) a broader range of individual-level outcomes (e.g., health), and (e) impact on social change. Contact theory and research provides a comprehensive conceptual foundation, allied to a range of powerful empirical techniques, for important new advances and practical applications for improving intergroup relations and producing more equitable outcomes across groups.

Keywords: direct contact, extended contact, prejudice, mediators, moderators.

Summary: This article discusses the recent resurgence of intergroup contact theory in studying ways to reduce conflict and foster reconciliation in societies with pervasive intergroup conflict. It reports on research conducted in countries including South Africa, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, and Bosnia, exploring the roles of direct and extended contact, the effects of contact on intergroup trust and forgiveness, and the processes by which contact achieves these outcomes.

Abstract: Intergroup contact theory is enjoying a renaissance; positive contact does reduce intergroup prejudice, but intergroup contact has generally been studied in relatively benign settings. With a number of countries either still experiencing or having just
emerged from periods of pervasive intergroup animosity, contact theory is, nowadays, being put to its most stringent test as contact theorists try to uncover ways in which intergroup conflict can be reduced and reconciliation fostered. This article draws on
research conducted at the Oxford Centre for the Study of Intergroup Conflict in countries including South Africa, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, and Bosnia. We report on our efforts to add to the emerging body of literature by (a) exploring the possible roles
that direct and extended contact play in (post-) conflict societies; (b) asking when we might—or might not—expect contact to positively affect more demanding outcomes (such as intergroup trust and forgiveness); and (c) by investigating the processes by
which contact achieves these outcomes. We then outline a research program that aims to further study both the benefits and limitations of intergroup contact in societies that are immersed in or emerging from protracted intergroup conflict.

Keywords: social change; social psychology; intergroup dynamics; problem solving.

Summary: This article reviews 50 years of research on Allport's 'contact hypothesis' and assesses progress, problems, and prospects. It highlights progress made in understanding two forms of contact - direct and indirect - and the effects of each, as well as moderating and mediating factors. The article also considers critiques of intergroup contact, focusing on empirical issues and providing a research agenda for the future, concluding that it deserves recognition as an influential theory.

Abstract: We review 50-odd years of research on Allport's (1954)‘contact hypothesis’, to assess progress, problems, and prospects. We chart the progress that has been made in understanding two distinct forms of contact: direct and indirect. We highlight the progress made in understanding the effects of each type of contact, as well as both moderating and mediating factors, and emphasize the multiple impacts of direct contact, especially. We then consider some of the main critiques of inter-group contact, focusing on empirical issues and whether contact impedes social change, and provide a research agenda for the coming years. We conclude that this body of work no longer merits the modest title of ‘hypothesis’, but fully deserves acknowledgement as an integrated and influential theory.

Aim of Intervention

Exploring the outcomes and impact of online intergroup contact interventions

Length of Project

Eight weeks long with weekly 2-hr long meetings

Offline or Online Problem?

Online

Who is Behind This

Sandy Schumann & Ysanne Moore in collaboration with non-government organization Soliya

“Sandy Schumann (PhD) is a Lecturer at University College London, Department of Security and Crime Science. Her research examines risk factors of radicalisation, extreme political attitudes, as well as hate crime prevention in online and offline settings.”

“Ysanne Moore (MSc) is a junior cyber threat intelligence consultant at the NCC Group. She graduated from the Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science at University College London in 2020. Her research interests include extremist ideologies and behaviours, including far-right hate speech, as well as prevention strategies to counter intolerant and discriminatory beliefs.”

How Does the Project work?

The Soliya organization has a Connect Program which comprises four different virtual modules, with the primary one being Connect Global. These modules are used to assess if participation in these modules “predicts more positive outgroup attitudes and more outgroup knowledge.”

~ CG includes “eight to ten students from the United States, Europe, the Middle Eastern and Northern Africa, and Asia.” Students meet weekly for two hours for 8 weeks and
have conversations about various global topics (i.e., gender relations, religion).

~ During sessions, engage in “audio-, video-, and text-based tools” to “enable synchronous interactions.”

~ CG students also acquire skills such as “listening, intercultural communication, and critical awareness.”

~ One or two experienced facilitators lead the discussions and abide by the syllabus.

~ In between sessions, students engage in text conversations asynchronously

Students’ identities / backgrounds remain visible throughout.
(68% women, 32% men, two remained anonymous; 60% came from the Arab region, followed by 23% Europeans and 7% U.S. participants. 48 nationalities with most participants identifying as Tunisian (25%), Italian (15%), and Moroccan (9.6%).

The other modules include: Connect Express, Connect Global Foreign Affairs, Connect Collaborate

~ CE: similar curriculum to CG but lasts only four weeks

~ CBFA:
follows principles of CG but focuses on the relationship between Western & Muslim-majority societies
Participants have academic interests such as foreign affairs, political science, Middle Eastern studies

~ CC: offers students opportunity to work for five weeks on a joint project After choosing a topic that is relevant to people around the globe (e.g., the environment, poverty, gender equality), students develop an awareness-raising campaign. The teams compete over prizes for the best campaign

Each module is through a university course – some students self-select and others take these modules as a core course.

Stages / Evaluative Measurements

“Study design and measures were first tested in a pilot study”

First the researchers “replicated previous findings and tested whether participation in the Connect modules predicts more positive outgroup attitudes and more outgroup knowledge.”

Assessed behavior tendencies, focusing on collective action to defend outgroup members (CA – “activities that reflect solidarity with outgroups”)

Pre-post and post design. Participants (N = 547) completed surveys before and after the intervention (students completed the pre-survey as part of their registration for the Soliya program). Depending on the program cohort, follow-up surveys were administered with a delay – six, 12, and 18 months.

~To investigate immediate outcomes of the intervention, researchers assessed changes in attitudes, knowledge, confidence, and collective action tendencies after the program ended.
~Also, contrasted the outcomes of a four-weeks module against outcomes of an eight-weeks activity to see if contact quantity has an effect.

What Works? / Doesn’t Work?

~ It is difficult to rely on pre-survey tests taken several weeks or months before program start date
~ duration of contact is not extremely significant

Advantage of Intervention

~ virtual

What we Learn

“Participation in the Soliya Connect modules predicts a reduction in prejudice, an increase in confidence in communicating in intercultural settings, enhanced self-reported knowledge about Western-Muslim relationships, and a higher likelihood to take collective action on behalf of outgroup members.”

“Notably, changes in attitudes, knowledge, confidence, and collective action tendencies persisted also after the program ended.’

What we can Generalize

“Participating in a global online intergroup contact intervention was associated with reduced prejudice, increased collective action tendencies on behalf of outgroups, higher levels of self-reported knowledge about intergroup relations, and stronger confidence in communicating in intercultural environments.”

Contact duration (number of intergroup interactions) does not affect relationship between online interactions and outgroup feelings

“Intergroup contact can facilitate, rather than undermine, collective action on behalf of disadvantaged outgroups.”