Intergroup contact through online comments : effects of direct and extended contact on outgroup attitudes
This study contributes to the still limited evidence on the effects of online intergroup contact. We conceptualize online contact as occurring through users’ comments online, an easy and accessible venue for intergroup encounters. We test two forms of online contact: encountering an outgroup member...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2018
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/87736 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/45481 |
| _version_ | 1826129866476486656 |
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| author | Kim, Nuri Wojcieszak, Magdalena |
| author2 | Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information |
| author_facet | Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information Kim, Nuri Wojcieszak, Magdalena |
| author_sort | Kim, Nuri |
| collection | NTU |
| description | This study contributes to the still limited evidence on the effects of online intergroup contact. We conceptualize online contact as occurring through users’ comments online, an easy and accessible venue for intergroup encounters. We test two forms of online contact: encountering an outgroup member directly (direct online contact) or through an ingroup member (extended online contact) and their effects on outgroup attitudes, here various forms of threat and social distance. We also examine the emotional mechanisms through which these effects emerge. We rely on an online experiment (N = 396) testing online contact with two distinct outgroups, an undocumented immigrant or a gay person. Compared to the control, direct online contact decreased perceived threat and social distance toward gays and lesbians, but not toward undocumented immigrants. Direct online contact improved attitudes toward both outgroups through positive and negative emotions, whereas extended online contact reduced negative emotions, improving attitudes towards undocumented immigrants. We discuss theoretical, methodological and practical implications of these findings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-10-01T07:47:12Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | ntu-10356/87736 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-10-01T07:47:12Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/877362020-03-07T12:15:50Z Intergroup contact through online comments : effects of direct and extended contact on outgroup attitudes Kim, Nuri Wojcieszak, Magdalena Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information Intergroup Contact Extended Contact This study contributes to the still limited evidence on the effects of online intergroup contact. We conceptualize online contact as occurring through users’ comments online, an easy and accessible venue for intergroup encounters. We test two forms of online contact: encountering an outgroup member directly (direct online contact) or through an ingroup member (extended online contact) and their effects on outgroup attitudes, here various forms of threat and social distance. We also examine the emotional mechanisms through which these effects emerge. We rely on an online experiment (N = 396) testing online contact with two distinct outgroups, an undocumented immigrant or a gay person. Compared to the control, direct online contact decreased perceived threat and social distance toward gays and lesbians, but not toward undocumented immigrants. Direct online contact improved attitudes toward both outgroups through positive and negative emotions, whereas extended online contact reduced negative emotions, improving attitudes towards undocumented immigrants. We discuss theoretical, methodological and practical implications of these findings. Accepted version 2018-08-06T08:13:27Z 2019-12-06T16:48:19Z 2018-08-06T08:13:27Z 2019-12-06T16:48:19Z 2018 Journal Article Kim, N., & Wojcieszak, M. (2018). Intergroup contact through online comments: Effects of direct and extended contact on outgroup attitudes. Computers in Human Behavior, 81, 63-72. 0747-5632 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/87736 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/45481 10.1016/j.chb.2017.11.013 en Computers in Human Behavior © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. This is the author created version of a work that has been peer reviewed and accepted for publication by Computers in Human Behavior, Elsevier Ltd. It incorporates referee’s comments but changes resulting from the publishing process, such as copyediting, structural formatting, may not be reflected in this document. The published version is available at: [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.11.013]. 37 p. application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | Intergroup Contact Extended Contact Kim, Nuri Wojcieszak, Magdalena Intergroup contact through online comments : effects of direct and extended contact on outgroup attitudes |
| title | Intergroup contact through online comments : effects of direct and extended contact on outgroup attitudes |
| title_full | Intergroup contact through online comments : effects of direct and extended contact on outgroup attitudes |
| title_fullStr | Intergroup contact through online comments : effects of direct and extended contact on outgroup attitudes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Intergroup contact through online comments : effects of direct and extended contact on outgroup attitudes |
| title_short | Intergroup contact through online comments : effects of direct and extended contact on outgroup attitudes |
| title_sort | intergroup contact through online comments effects of direct and extended contact on outgroup attitudes |
| topic | Intergroup Contact Extended Contact |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/87736 http://hdl.handle.net/10220/45481 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kimnuri intergroupcontactthroughonlinecommentseffectsofdirectandextendedcontactonoutgroupattitudes AT wojcieszakmagdalena intergroupcontactthroughonlinecommentseffectsofdirectandextendedcontactonoutgroupattitudes |