Imagined contact facilitates acculturation, Sometimes: Contradicting evidence from two socio-cultural contexts

Objective: Imagined intergroup contact has been shown to be an effective tool to improve intergroup relationships in various settings, yet the application of the strategy among minority group members and across cultures has been scarce. The current research aimed to test imagined contact effects on minority group members’ acculturation strategies (contact participation and culture maintenance), perceived discrimination, feelings of belongingness, and social acceptance across three studies conducted in the UK (Study 1) and Turkey (Study 2 and 3). Method: The sample consisted of Eastern Europeans in Study 1 (N = 63) and Kurds in Study 2 and 3 (N = 66 and 210, respectively). Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions (control vs. imagined contact) and completed measures of acculturation, perceived discrimination, general belongingness, and social acceptance. Results: Findings showed that while imagined contact significantly reduced perceived discrimination and culture maintenance, and increased contact participation and social acceptance among Eastern Europeans (Study 1), it reduced social acceptance and contact participation among Kurds recruited from a conflict-ridden homogeneous setting (Study 2). With a larger and more heterogeneous sample of Kurds (Study 3), these effects occurred only among those with higher ingroup identification. Moreover, in all studies social acceptance mediated the effects of imagined contact on contact participation and perceived discrimination. Discussion: Findings offer important insights about the use of the imagined contact strategy among minority group members and imply the need to take into account the context-dependent nature of contact strategies

When imagining intergroup contact mobilizes collective action: The perspective of disadvantaged and advantaged groups

The current studies aimed to reveal the potential role of imagined intergroup contact on collective action tendencies within a context of intergroup conflict. Study 1 (disadvantaged Kurds, N = 80) showed that imagined contact increased collective action tendencies and this effect was mediated by increased perceived discrimination and ethnic identification. Study 2 (advantaged Turks, N = 127) demonstrated that imagined contact also directly increased collective action tendencies, as well as perceived discrimination and relative deprivation among the advantaged group. No significant mediation emerged. At the same time, in line with literature, imagined contact led only the advantaged group members to display more positive outgroup attitudes. Findings suggest that in settings where ingroup identities and conflict are salient, imagined contact may not readily undermine motivation for social change among group members

I (dis)like the way you (dis)like them: The role of extended contact on social distance and attitudes towards the ingroup

While extended intergroup contact has been commonly studied in the context of prejudice reduction, less is known about its implications for processes related to the ingroup. Through three correlational and one experimental studies (total N = 897) conducted in two different intergroup contexts (Turkey and United Kingdom), we investigated whether extended intergroup contact relates to social distance and attitudes towards ingroup members as a function of outgroup attitudes. We also investigated ingroup identification and perceived ingroup morality as potential mediators in these associations. Correlational studies demonstrated that especially when outgroup attitudes were more negative, participants’ positive (but not negative) extended contact was related to a more negative evaluation of the ingroup; whereas when outgroup attitudes were more positive, extended contact was associated with positive attitudes towards the ingroup. We found experimental evidence for the suggested relationships in relation to ingroup social distance. Findings are discussed in the light of vicarious dissonance theory and deprovincialization hypothesis

Being tolerated and being discriminated against:Links to psychological well-being through threatened social identity needs

We investigated whether and how the experience of being tolerated and of being discriminated against are associated with psychological well‐being in three correlational studies among three stigmatized groups in Turkey (LGBTI group members, people with disabilities, and ethnic Kurds, total N = 862). Perceived threat to social identity needs (esteem, meaning, belonging, efficacy, and continuity) was examined as a mediator in these associations. Structural equation models showed evidence for the detrimental role of both toleration and discrimination experiences on positive and negative psychological well‐being through higher levels of threatened social identity needs. A mini‐meta analysis showed small to moderate effect sizes and toleration was associated with lower positive well‐being through threatened needs among all three stigmatized groups

Imagined contact in high conflict settings: The role of ethnic group identification and the perspective of minority group members

Recent contact literature has shown that imagining a positive intergroup encounter improves intergroup attitudes and behaviors, yet less is known about the effects of imagined contact in high conflict settings. We conducted three studies to understand the potential effects of imagined intergroup contact among ethnic Turks ( majority status) and ethnic Kurds ( minority status) in the Turkish-Kurdish interethnic conflict setting. Study 1 (N = 47, Turkish) tested standard imagined contact effects ( neutral vs. standard imagined contact condition) among majority Turks and showed that imagined contact was effective on outgroup attitudes, perceived threat, intergroup anxiety, and support for multiculturalism only among participants with higher ethnic identification. Study 2 (N = 107, Turkish) examined how ethnic identification of the contact partner would influence the effectiveness of the standard imagined contact scenario ( neutral vs. standard vs. ethnic identification condition) and demonstrated that imagined contact effects were more negative when the contact partner identified with his/her ethnic group during imagined contact. Study 3 (N = 55, Kurdish) investigated imagined contact effects ( neutral vs. standard imagined contact condition) among an ethnic minority group and showed that imagined contact did not improve minority group members' outgroup attitudes, but did decrease intergroup anxiety and perceived discrimination (marginally significantly) and increased perceived positive attitudes from the majority group. Practical implications of the use of imagined intergroup contact strategy in conflict-ridden settings were discussed.Publisher's Versio

Moral decision-making among young muslim adults on harmless taboo violations: The effects of gender, religiosity, and political affiliation

Shweder's Big Three Theory of Intuitive moral approach has not yet been investigated in Muslim culture. We aim at replicating Haidt and his colleagues' (1993) work using harmless taboo violation stories with a Muslim population of 167 young adults in Turkey. Participants' justifications and victim references were examined in terms of the three ethics of morality and their subsequent link to perceived harmfulness. Results revealed that moral judgments differed by participants' gender, political affiliation, and religiosity. Women were more supportive of interference and felt more bothered than men. Secularists, Islamists, and also highly religious people were similar on most of the dimensions of moral decision making. Consequently, influences of moral intuitions varied by culture, political affiliation, religiosity level, and gender, while perceived harmfulness was most correlated to the ethic of divinity.Publisher's Versio

Rekabetçi mağduriyet algısını yordamada gruplar arası arkadaşlıklar, dış grubun bakış açısını alma ve iç grupla özdeşleşmenin rolü

In conflict-ridden societies, both groups often believe that they are the sole undeserved victim of the conflict. The current study aimed to examine Turkish and Kurdish ethnic group members’ competitive victimhood beliefs in the context of intergroup contact theory and investigate whether two social-psychological variables – outgroup perspective-taking and ingroup identification – significantly mediated this association. The sample consisted of 234 participants (142 Turkish and 92 Kurdish; 152 Females, 81 Males, 1 Unknown; Mage = 22.39, SD = 3.96). Participants completed online surveys including demographic information, and measures of intergroup contact (cross-group friendship quality), outgroup perspective-taking, ingroup identification, and competitive victimhood beliefs. Findings demonstrated that the quality of cross-group friendships was negatively associated with competitive victimhood beliefs and as expected this association was significantly mediated by increased outgroup perspective-taking and decreased ingroup identification. Results imply the need to study intergroup contact and competitive victimhood beliefs simultaneously to facilitate the understanding of reconciliation processes in conflictual intergroup relationships.Gruplar arası çatışmanın yüksek seviyede hissedildiği toplumlarda, her iki grup da kendi üyelerini çatışmanın haksızlığa uğramış tek kurbanı olarak görür. Bu çalışmanın amacı Türkiye’de yaşayan Türk ve Kürt katılımcılar arasında rekabetçi mağduriyet algısını (Competitive Victimhood Beliefs) gruplar arası temas (Intergroup Contact) bağlamında incelemek ve bu ilişkiyi açıklayabilecek iki sosyal-psikolojik değişkenin – dış grubun bakış açısını alma ve iç grupla özdeşleşme – aracı rolünü test etmektedir. Çalışmaya farklı illerden toplamda 234 katılımcı (142 Türk, 92 Kürt; 152 Kadın, 81 Erkek, 1 Bilinmeyen, Ortyaş = 22.39, S = 3.96) dahil edilmiş; katılımcılara demografik form, gruplar arası arkadaşlık niteliği, dış grubun bakış açısını alma, iç grup kimlikle özdeşleşme ve rekabetçi mağduriyet ölçeklerini içeren çevrimiçi anketler dağıtılmıştır. PROCESS makrosu ile incelediğimiz aracı modelinde, gruplar arası arkadaşlık niteliğinin rekabetçi mağduriyet ile doğrudan ilişkisinin olumsuz olduğu, bu ilişkinin artan dış grubun bakış açısını alma ve azalan iç grupla özdeşleşme ile açıklandığı bulunmuştur. Sonuçlar çatışmalı grup ilişkilerinde uzlaşmanın sağlanmasında, gruplar arası temas ve rekabetçi mağduriyet algısının bir arada incelenmesinin önemini ortaya koymaktadır.Publisher's VersionWOS:00076302440000

Influences of gender, political and religious orientation of intuition based moral decision making process

[No abstract available]Publisher's Versio

I (dis)like the way you (dis)like them: the role of extended contact on social distance and attitudes towards the ingroup

While extended intergroup contact has been commonly studied in the context of prejudice reduction, less is known about its implications for processes related to the ingroup. Through three correlational and one experimental studies (total N = 897) conducted in two different intergroup contexts (Turkey and United Kingdom), we investigated whether extended intergroup contact relates to social distance and attitudes towards ingroup members as a function of outgroup attitudes. We also investigated ingroup identification and perceived ingroup morality as potential mediators in these associations. Correlational studies demonstrated that especially when outgroup attitudes were more negative, participants’ positive (but not negative) extended contact was related to a more negative evaluation of the ingroup; whereas when outgroup attitudes were more positive, extended contact was associated with positive attitudes towards the ingroup. We found experimental evidence for the suggested relationships in relation to ingroup social distance. Findings are discussed in the light of vicarious dissonance theory and deprovincialization hypothesis