“I'm not sure how she will react”: Predictability moderates the influence of positive contact experiences on intentions to interact with a host community member

• We examine the role of a positive contact with a host family for exchange students in intercultural encounters.
• We report a study with Swiss exchange students in the United States of America or New Zealand.
• Contact with the host family and the willingness to interact with an unknown host community member were measured.
• The predictability of the behavior of the unknown host community member was manipulated (high vs. low).
• Positive contact with the host family predicted the intention to meet an outgroup member only under low predictability.

The present research examines the role of positive contact with a host family for exchange students in intercultural encounters. We assumed that positive contact with a host family can facilitate the willingness to interact with unknown host community members in the new cultural environment and that this impact is moderated by the predictability of the unknown host community members’ behavior. In detail, we hypothesized that the importance of positive contact experience increases when the predictability of a possible interaction partner decreases. In a study with Swiss exchange students, we measured contact with the host family and the willingness to interact with an unknown host community member. The predictability of the behavior of the unknown host community member was manipulated (high vs. low). As predicted, positive contact with the host family predicted the intention to meet an unknown host community member in the condition with a poorly predictable host community member, but not in the condition with a well predictable host community member.