Micro-Ecological Behavior and Intergroup Contact

作者：McKeown Shelley^*; Cairns Ed; Stringer Maurice; Rae Gordon

来源：The Journal of Social Psychology, 2012, 152(3): 340-358.

DOI：10.1080/00224545.2011.614647

• intergroup attitudes
• intergroup behavior
• intergroup contact
• micro-ecology
• segregation

Research evaluating intergroup contact has tended to rely on self-report measures. Drawing on recent micro-ecological research, the two studies reported here used a multi-method approach to examine contact in a more holistic fashion. This involved the measurement of observable behavior at the micro-level, intergroup attitudes via infrahumanization and focus groups. Participants were taking part in a community intervention program in Northern Ireland. We conclude that micro-ecological behavior is not necessarily indicative of outgroup attitudes. Although behavior and attitudes changed in line with one another in Study 1 (less aggregation and significantly less infrahumanization), there were no infrahumanization differences between those who sat beside an outgroup member and those who did not. Importantly, the work presented here illustrates a unique method that allows micro-ecological behavioral observations to be made for the first time in non-racial settings.

• 出版日期2012