The role of intergroup threat and intergroup anxiety inthe relationship between intergroup contact andprejudices

Studies based on Allport's contact hypothesis have indicated that intergroup contact reduces intergroup prejudice and improves intergroup relations.On the other hand, intergroup threat theory suggests that intergroup contact can affect emotions, cognitions and behaviors towards the outgroup by reducing the perceived threat from the outgroup and intergroup anxiety. In the current study, the predictive role of intimate positive, intimate negative, superficial positive and superficial negative contact in the context of intergroup threat, anxiety, anger and attitudes, and the mediating role of intergroup threat, anxiety and anger in the relationships between contact and components of attitudes were examined. In order to test indirect relationships, a path analysis was carried out in which intimate positive contact, intimate negative contact, superficial positive contact and superficial negative contact were precursors, intergroup threat, anxiety and anger were mediators, social distance, positive-negative emotions and negative stereotypes towards outgroup, which are components of attitudes towards outgroup, were the outcome variables. The data was collected face to face and online, and the participants consisted of 242 people who identified themselves as Turkish. The results indicated that intimate positive and superficial positive contacts predicted intergroup anxiety negatively, whereas intimate negative and superficial negative contacts predicted it positively. It was found that intimate and superficial positive contacts negatively predicted the perceived general threat from the outgroup, while intimate negative contact predicted it positively. Intimate positive contact predicted anger negatively and intimate negative contact predicted anger positively whereas positive and negative superficial contacts did not significantly predict anger. On the other hand, intergroup anxiety, threat, and anger also predicted various components of attitudes toward the outgroup (emotions, stereotypes, social distance). Perceived general threat negatively predicted positive emotions, and positively predicted negative emotions, negative stereotypes, and social distance.Intergroup anxiety negatively predicted positive emotion and positively predicted negative stereotypes and social distance. Anger towards the outgroup positively predicted negative emotions, stereotypes, and social distance. Finally, it has been observed that indirect relationships exist between intergroup contact variables and attitudinal variables (emotions, stereotypes, social distance) through intergroup anxiety, threat and anger. Specifically, it was found that both intimate and superficial positive contacts, through intergroup anxiety, predicted positive emotions positively and negative stereotypes and social distance negatively. It has been observed that intimate and superficial positive contact negatively predicted negative emotions, stereotypes and social distance through anger. In addition, it was determined that both intimate and superficial positive contact, through general threat, predicted positive emotions positively, and negative emotions, stereotypes and social distance negatively. On the other hand, when indirect relationships for negative contacts were considered, intimate negative contact was found to positively predict negative emotions, stereotypes and social distance through anger.It was determined that superficial negative contact through intergroup anxiety negatively predicted positive emotions and positively predicted negative stereotypes and social distance.