Relevance (law)

Neuroscience

Value (mathematics)

Contact theory

Mathematics

Outgroup

Structural engineering

Prejudice (legal term)

Statistics

Ingroups and outgroups

Epistemology

Engineering

Philosophy

Contact hypothesis

Cognition

Political science

Cognitive psychology

Psychology

Generalization

Social psychology

Journal of Social Issues

Intergroup contact is one of the most promising and effective strategies for reducing prejudice. Importantly, intergroup contact not only improves attitudes towards an encountered outgroup member but also to the outgroup as a whole (i.e., primary transfer effects), to other outgroups (i.e., secondary transfer effects), and even enhances cognitive functioning beyond intergroup relations (i.e., tertiary transfer effect). In this article, we first review the recent developments on primary, secondary, and tertiary contact generalization. We then summarize mechanisms that underlie and condition each of these generalizations. Third, we highlight key critiques against the contact literature identifying avenues for future research on generalization processes. Lastly, we underline the policy value of research on generalization effects.

The generalization of intergroup contact effects: Emerging research, policy relevance, and future directions