Can Imagined Contact Improve Intergroup Attitude in the Long Run?

Abstract

The imagined contact method of cognitively manipulating intergroup relations has been reported to be widely successful in improving attitude toward the outgroup. However, little has been reported on its durability. Study 1 was conducted to test the stimulus scenario, involving 282 students who were given either an imagined contact scenario or a control, featuring Chinese as the outgroup. Pre-post measures of intergroup attitude were obtained. Imagined contact group showed some improvement in attitude. In study 2, the same method was applied to non-student participants (N=134), but this time, measurements were taken before, right after, one week after and one month after administering the imagined contact approach. Results indicated that the effect of imagined contact did not dissipate after one week, and even one month, particularly for the perception of social distance, but not for other measures. We discussed the potential of imagined contact in its application as a viable means of improving intergroup attitude toward Chinese in Japan.

Keywords

Imagined contact / indirect contact / intergroup anxiety / intergroup attitude / longitudinal / outgroup evaluation / social distance

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