Imagined contact hypothesis
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The imagined contact hypothesis is an extension of the contact hypothesis, a theoretical proposition centred on the psychology of prejudice and prejudice reduction. It was originally developed by Richard J. Crisp and Rhiannon N. Turner and proposes that the mental simulation, or imagining, of a positive social interaction with an outgroup member can lead to increased positive attitudes, greater desire for social contact, and improved group dynamics.[1] Empirical evidence supporting the imagined contact hypothesis demonstrates its effectiveness at improving explicit and implicit attitudes towards and intergroup relations with a wide variety of stigmatized groups including religious minorities,[2] the mentally ill,[3] ethnic minorities,[4] sexual minorities,[1] and obese individuals.[5] Researchers have identified a number of factors that influence the effectiveness of the imagined contact hypothesis including vividness of the imagery[4] and how typical the imagined outgroup individual is.[6] While some researchers question the effectiveness of the imagined contact hypothesis,[7] empirical evidence does suggest it is effective at improving attitudes towards outgroups.[1]
This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (December 2014) |