Intergroup contact and social change: Implications of negative and positive contact for collective action in advantaged and disadvantaged groups

Previous research has shown that (1) positive intergroup contact with an advantaged group can discourage collective action among disadvantaged-group members and (2) positive intergroup contact can encourage advantaged-group members to take action on behalf of disadvantaged outgroups. Two studies investigated the effects of negative as well as positive intergroup contact. Study 1 (N = 482) found that negative but not positive contact with heterosexual people was associated with sexual-minority students’ engagement in collective action (via group identification and perceived discrimination). Among heterosexual students, positive and negative contact were associated with, respectively, more and less LGB activism. Study 2 (N = 1,469) found that only negative contact (via perceived discrimination) predicted LGBT students’ collective action intentions longitudinally while only positive contact predicted heterosexual/cisgender students’ LGBT activism. Implications for the relationship between intergroup contact, collective action, and social change are discussed.

既往研究表明：(1) 与优势群体进行积极的跨群体互动可能会削弱劣势群体成员的集体行动意愿；(2) 积极的跨群体互动则可能激励优势群体成员代表劣势的外群体采取行动。两项研究探讨了负面及正面跨群体互动的影响。研究一（样本量 N = 482）发现，与异性群体的负面而非正面互动与性少数学生参与集体行动（通过群体认同和感知到的歧视）相关。在异性学生中，正面和负面互动分别与更多和更少的LGB（同性恋、双性恋和跨性别）活动主义相关。研究二（样本量 N = 1,469）发现，只有负面接触（通过感知到的歧视）在纵向层面上预测了LGBT学生的集体行动意愿，而只有正面接触预测了异性/顺性别学生的LGBT活动主义。关于跨群体互动、集体行动与社会变革之间关系的影响进行了讨论。