Reducing prejudice via indirect intergroup contact

The proposed program of research will integrate and extend research on three aspects of intergroup contact direct, extended and imagined contact, by developing powerful indirect contact interventions which can change intergroup attitudes and behaviour.
First, different indirect contact interventions will be piloted and tested in order to develop extended and imagined contact tasks which are particularly effective at reducing prejudice, and which have a long lasting impact.
Second, the processes that mediate and moderate the effect of these interventions on outgroup attitudes will be examined, in order to identify how extended and imagined contact can be differentiated from one another, and when each will be maximally effective.
Finally, a potential practical application of indirect contact will be investigated; the idea that it can help to prepare people for face-to-face intergroup encounters, producing more positive and successful intergroup contact which results in further positive attitude change.