When Does Superficial Intergroup Contact Reduce Anti-foreigner Sentiment? Negative Contact as an Essential Condition

Jens Peter Frølund Thomsen; Arzoo Rafiqi

doi:10.1177/0020715217744598

When Does Superficial Intergroup Contact Reduce Anti-foreigner Sentiment? Negative Contact as an Essential Condition

Jens Peter Frølund Thomsen, Arzoo Rafiqi

Department of Political Science

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

This article expands intergroup contact research by examining how negative and positive contact experiences outside the private sphere condition the impact of superficial intergroup contact. Analyses show that (1) superficial intergroup contact spurs anti-foreigner sentiment among in-group members with very negative contact experiences, whereas (2) superficial intergroup contact reduces anti-foreigner sentiment among in-group members with positive contact experiences. Thus, the impact of superficial contact is highly conditioned by the characteristics of subjective contact experiences. These results were generated in a fixed-effects regression analysis of 21 countries and 27,404 individuals from the most recent 2014–European Social Survey (ESS) (round 7). In terms of theoretical implications, the findings suggest that the characteristics of contact experiences are essential for the ability of superficial intergroup contact to produce positive outcomes.

Original language	English
Journal	International Journal of Comparative Sociology
Volume	59
Issue	1
Pages (from-to)	25-43
Number of pages	19
ISSN	0020-7152
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0020715217744598
Publication status	Published - 2018

Keywords

Anti-foreigner sentiment
contact experiences
fixed-effects regression
moderation
superficial intergroup contact

Access to Document

10.1177/0020715217744598

Cite this

@article{2e7fadaf756046e695ea15b374c64c65,

title = "When Does Superficial Intergroup Contact Reduce Anti-foreigner Sentiment? Negative Contact as an Essential Condition",

abstract = "This article expands intergroup contact research by examining how negative and positive contact experiences outside the private sphere condition the impact of superficial intergroup contact. Analyses show that (1) superficial intergroup contact spurs anti-foreigner sentiment among in-group members with very negative contact experiences, whereas (2) superficial intergroup contact reduces anti-foreigner sentiment among in-group members with positive contact experiences. Thus, the impact of superficial contact is highly conditioned by the characteristics of subjective contact experiences. These results were generated in a fixed-effects regression analysis of 21 countries and 27,404 individuals from the most recent 2014–European Social Survey (ESS) (round 7). In terms of theoretical implications, the findings suggest that the characteristics of contact experiences are essential for the ability of superficial intergroup contact to produce positive outcomes.",

keywords = "Anti-foreigner sentiment, contact experiences, fixed-effects regression, moderation, superficial intergroup contact",

author = "Thomsen, {Jens Peter Fr{\o}lund} and Arzoo Rafiqi",

year = "2018",

doi = "10.1177/0020715217744598",

language = "English",

volume = "59",

pages = "25--43",

journal = "International Journal of Comparative Sociology",

issn = "0020-7152",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",

number = "1",

}

When Does Superficial Intergroup Contact Reduce Anti-foreigner Sentiment? Negative Contact as an Essential Condition. / Thomsen, Jens Peter Frølund; Rafiqi, Arzoo.
In: International Journal of Comparative Sociology, Vol. 59, No. 1, 2018, p. 25-43.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - When Does Superficial Intergroup Contact Reduce Anti-foreigner Sentiment? Negative Contact as an Essential Condition

AU - Thomsen, Jens Peter Frølund

AU - Rafiqi, Arzoo

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - This article expands intergroup contact research by examining how negative and positive contact experiences outside the private sphere condition the impact of superficial intergroup contact. Analyses show that (1) superficial intergroup contact spurs anti-foreigner sentiment among in-group members with very negative contact experiences, whereas (2) superficial intergroup contact reduces anti-foreigner sentiment among in-group members with positive contact experiences. Thus, the impact of superficial contact is highly conditioned by the characteristics of subjective contact experiences. These results were generated in a fixed-effects regression analysis of 21 countries and 27,404 individuals from the most recent 2014–European Social Survey (ESS) (round 7). In terms of theoretical implications, the findings suggest that the characteristics of contact experiences are essential for the ability of superficial intergroup contact to produce positive outcomes.

AB - This article expands intergroup contact research by examining how negative and positive contact experiences outside the private sphere condition the impact of superficial intergroup contact. Analyses show that (1) superficial intergroup contact spurs anti-foreigner sentiment among in-group members with very negative contact experiences, whereas (2) superficial intergroup contact reduces anti-foreigner sentiment among in-group members with positive contact experiences. Thus, the impact of superficial contact is highly conditioned by the characteristics of subjective contact experiences. These results were generated in a fixed-effects regression analysis of 21 countries and 27,404 individuals from the most recent 2014–European Social Survey (ESS) (round 7). In terms of theoretical implications, the findings suggest that the characteristics of contact experiences are essential for the ability of superficial intergroup contact to produce positive outcomes.

KW - Anti-foreigner sentiment

KW - contact experiences

KW - fixed-effects regression

KW - moderation

KW - superficial intergroup contact

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85046829014&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/0020715217744598

DO - 10.1177/0020715217744598

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0020-7152

VL - 59

SP - 25

EP - 43

JO - International Journal of Comparative Sociology

JF - International Journal of Comparative Sociology

IS - 1

ER -

When Does Superficial Intergroup Contact Reduce Anti-foreigner Sentiment? Negative Contact as an Essential Condition

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this