Contact Theory And Synthesis Essay

Contact works through both cognitive such as learning about the out-group, behavioral (changing one’s behavior to open oneself to potential positive contact experiences), affective (generating affective bonds and friendships, and reducing negative emotions) or re-evaluating how one thinks about one’s own in-group. The most important processes by which contact achieves its effect are that of emotions. Contact works to reduce prejudice by replacing negative affect such as anxiety or threat with positive affect such as empathy (Tausch, et al., 2010). Moreover, positive contact is connected with reduced physiological threat responses to out-group members (Blascovich, et al., 1997) and reduced differences in the way that persons are processed in the brain. This implies that contact supports to increase perceptions of similarity (Russ, 1999). Therefore, contact has a strong effect on reducing

Moreover, the theory assumes that it also fosters cooperation and solidarity in general (Johnston & Glasford, 2017). Previous researchers suggest that there is a higher level of social trust where a high-quality social contact between different ethnicities exists. To put it in other words, high-quality contact between different ethnic groups can combat negative effects of diversity (Carpenter & Dickinson, 2016). In addition to prejudice reduction, Contact Theory has been successfully applied in research on stigma reduction. To give an example, the direct contact between the general public and individuals with mental illnesses has been found to create lasting changes in both behaviors and attitudes when the conditions of CT are met (Corrigan & O’Shaughnessy, 2007). Interventions that comport with the conditions of CT also have been found to reduce stigma and myths about homelessness and promote positive attitudes and greater empathy toward people experiencing homelessness (Snow & Reeb,