Increasing outgroup trust, reducing infrahumanization, and enhancing future contact intentions via imagined intergroup contact

The present study was designed to test whether imagined intergroup contact (Crisp & Turner, 2009) affects attributions of human emotions to outgroup members and positive behavioral intentions toward the outgroup via increased outgroup trust. Italian fourth-graders took part in a three-week intervention, where they were asked to imagine meeting an unknown immigrant child in various social settings. One week after the last session, they were administered the dependent measures. Results revealed an indirect effect of imagined contact on both behavioral intentions and attributions of uniquely human emotions to outgroup members via outgroup trust. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and an integration of the imagined contact and infrahumanization literature is suggested.

► We examined the effectiveness of imagined contact among elementary school children.
► Imagined contact reduced outgroup infrahumanization via outgroup trust.
► Imagined contact improved behavioral intentions toward outgroup via outgroup trust.
► Outgroup trust mediates the effects of imagined contact.