Browsing by Author "Berry, George Thomas"
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- ItemExtended contact and attitude generalisation: an experimental study of the secondary transfer effect(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University., 2020-03) Berry, George Thomas; Swart, Hermann; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Gordon Allport’s (1954) contact hypothesis states that under optimal conditions, intergroup contact can reduce intergroup prejudice. Advances within this theoretical framework have revealed that instances of intergroup contact need not necessarily be direct (face-to-face) to achieve a significant improvement in intergroup relations, and that extended contact (i.e.,the observation of positive direct contact) can produce similar results. Extended intergroup contact may be of particular relevance in post-conflict nations, such as South Africa, that are characterised by persistent segregation, mistrust, and limited opportunities for positive intergroup contact. Furthermore, it has been discovered that the benefits of intergroup contact with a primary outgroup can generalise towards secondary (infrequently-or non-encountered) outgroups –a phenomenon known as the secondary transfer effect of intergroup contact. However, research regarding both extended contact and the secondary transfer effect within the South African context is limited. The present study aimed to address these gaps in the literature. A3-wave longitudinal, experimental research study exploring the effects of extended contact was undertaken amongst white South African female students at Stellenbosch University (N = 37). Participants in the extended contact condition each observed their white South African female friend engaging in positive intergroup contact with a black (African) South African female confederate. Changes in attitudes and trust towards black (African) South Africans (primary outgroup) amongst these participants over time were compared to that observed amongst participants in a control condition (no direct or extended intergroup contact). The present study also explored whether attitudes and trust towards black (African) South Africans would generalise towards a secondary (unencountered) outgroup (Indian South Africans) for those participants exposed to extended contact (as compared to participants in the control condition). The results showed that extended contact did not produce a significant change in either attitudes or trust towards black (African) South Africans (although the results were in the hypothesised direction, suggesting that the study may have been underpowered). However, changes in both attitudes and trust towards black (African) South Africans from Time 1 to Time 2 significantly predicted more positive attitudes and greater trust towards Indian South Africans at Time 2 (controlling for prior contact with Indian South Africans), supporting the secondary transfer effect for extended contact.