Introduction: Intergroup contact is a good predictor of positive attitudes towards other groups, relationships that could be mediated by lower intergroup anxiety. These associations have been analyzed among different groups, such as nationality or religion. However, contact and attitudes among social classes have been scarcely explored. For this reason, we analyzed the mediator effect of intergroup anxiety on the relationship between intergroup contact and positive attitudes from people of lower subjective social class to those of higher subjective social class. We expected a positive relationship between contact (quantity and quality) and positive attitudes, with the mediation of lower intergroup anxiety. Method: In a non-representative Chilean sample (N = 118), we conducted regressions analyses to evaluate our hypothesis. Results: The results supported our main hypothesis, contact quantity and quality were associated with more positive attitudes toward individuals of higher subjective social class, mediated by lower intergroup anxiety. Conclusions: We discussed the implications for relationships among social classes and the limitations associated with the sample and assessment of the social class.

Keywords:
Contact, intergroup anxiety, social class, intergroup attitude, contact quantity, contact quality

11_RLP_55_22112_Actitudes

Adler, N. E., Epel, E. S., Castellazzo, G., & Ickovics, J. R. (2000). Relationship of subjective and objective social status with psychological and physiological functioning: Preliminary data in healthy white women. Health Psychology, 19(6), 586-592. https://doi.org/10.1037//0278-6133.19.6.586

Ahmed, S. (2017). News media, movies, and anti-Muslim prejudice: Investigating the role of social contact. Asian Journal of Communication, 27(5), 536-553. https://doi.org/10.1080/01292986.2017.1339720

Allport, G. W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Addison-Wesley.

Ang, L., & Eisend, M. (2018). Single versus multiple measurement of attitudes: A meta-analysis of advertising studies validates the single-item measure approach. Journal of Advertising Research, 58(2), 218-227. https://doi.org/10.2501/JAR-2017-001

Bagci, S. C., Piyale, Z. E., Bircek, N. I., & Ebcim, E. (2018). Think beyond contact: Reformulating imagined intergroup contact theory by adding friendship potential. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 21(7), 1034-1052. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430217690237

Barozet, E., Contreras, D., Espinoza, V., Gayo, M., & Méndez, M. L. (2021). Clases medias en tiempos de crisis: Vulnerabilidad persistente, desafíos para la cohesión y un nuevo pacto social en Chile. Cepal.

Binder, J., Zagefka, H., Brown, R., Funke, F., Kessler, T., Mummendey, A., Maquil, A., Demoulin, S., & Leyens, J. P. (2009). Does contact reduce prejudice or does prejudice reduce contact? A longitudinal test of the contact hypothesis among majority and minority groups in three european countries. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96(4), 843-856. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013470

Çakal, H., Halabi, S., Cazan, A-M., & Eller, A. (2021). Intergroup contact and endorsement of social change motivations: The mediating role of intergroup trust, perspective-taking, and intergroup anxiety among three advantaged groups in Northern Cyprus, Romania, and Israel. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 24(1) 48-67. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430219885163

Çakal, H., Hewstone, M., Schwar, G., & Heath, A. (2011). An investigation of the social identity model of collective action and the ‘sedative’ effect of intergroup contact among Black and White students in South Africa. British Journal of Social Psychology, 50, 606-627. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8309.2011.02075.x

Carmona-Halty, M., Navas, M., & Rojas-Paz, P. (2018). Percepción de amenaza exogrupal, contacto intergrupal y prejuicio afectivo hacia colectivos migrantes latinoamericanos residentes en Chile. Interciencia, 43(1), 23-27. https://www.interciencia.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/23-CARMONA-43_1.pdf

Centro de Estudios de Conflicto y Cohesión Social (COES). (2020). Estudio Longitudinal Social de Chile, Tercera Ola (ELSOC_W02_v2.00). Centro de Estudios de Conflicto y Cohesión Social (COES).

Cohen, S., Alper, C. M., Doyle, W. J., Adler, N., Treanor, J. J., & Turner, R. B. (2008). Objective and subjective socioeconomic status and susceptibility to the common cold. Health Psychology, 27(2), 268-274. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.27.2.268

De Coninck, D., Rodríguez-de-Dios, I., & d’Haenens, L. (2021). The contact hypothesis during the European refugee crisis: Relating quality and quantity of (in)direct intergroup contact to attitudes towards refugees. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 24(6), 881–901. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430220929394

Di Bernardo, G. A., Vezzali, L., Stathi, S., McKeown, S., Cocco, V. M., Saguy, T., & Dixon, J. (2019). Fostering social change among advantaged and disadvantaged group members: Integrating intergroup contact and social identity perspectives on collective action. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 24(1) 26-47. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430219889134

Dixon, J., Durrheim, K., Thomae, M., Tredoux, C., Kerr, P., & Quayle, M. (2015). Divide and rule, unite and resist: Contact, collective action and policy attitudes amongst historically disadvantaged groups. Journal of Social Issues, 71, 576-596. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12129

Dovidio, J. F., Love, A., Schellhaas, F. M. H., & Hewstone, M. (2017). Reducing intergroup bias through intergroup contact: Twenty years of progress and future directions. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 20(5), 606-620. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430217712052

Du, G., & Lyu, H., & Li, X. (2020). Social class and subjective well-being in Chinese adults: The mediating role of present fatalistic time perspective. Current Psychology. 41, 5412–5419. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-01058-8

Euteneuer, F. (2014). Subjective social status and health. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 27(5), 337-343. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000000083

Frølund, T. J. P. (2012). How does intergroup contact generate ethnic tolerance? The contact hypothesis in a Scandinavian context. Scandinavian Political Studies, 35(2), 159-178. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9477.2011.00282.x

González, R., Sirlopú, D., & Kessler, T. (2010). Prejudice among Peruvians and Chileans as a function of identity, intergroup contact, acculturation preferences and intergroup emotions. Journal of Social Issues, 66(4), 803-824. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2010.01676.x

Hewstone, M., Cairns, E., Voci, A., Paolini, S., McLernon, F., Crisp, R. J., Niens, U., & Craig, J. (2005). Intergroup contact in a divided society: Challenging segregation in Northern Ireland. In D. Abrams, J. M. Marques, & M. A. Hogg (Eds.), The social psychology of inclusion and exclusion (pp. 265-292). Psychology Press.

Hutchison, P., & Rosenthal, H. (2011). Prejudice against Muslims: Anxiety as a mediator between intergroup contact and attitudes, perceived group variability and behavioural intentions. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 34(1), 40-61. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419871003763312

Islam, M. R., & Hewstone, M. (1993). Dimensions of contact as predictors of intergroup anxiety, perceived out-group variability, and out-group attitude: An integrative model. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 19(6), 700-710. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167293196005

Jost, J. T. (2019). A quarter century of system justification theory: Questions, answers, criticisms, and societal applications. British Journal of Social Psychology, 58, 263-314. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12297

Jost, J. T., & Banaji, M. R. (1994). The role of stereotyping in system-justification and the production of false consciousness. British Journal of Social Psychology, 33(1), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8309.1994.tb01008.x

Jost, J. T., Pelham, B. W., Sheldon, O., & Ni Sullivan, B. (2003). Social inequality and the reduction of ideological dissonance on behalf of the system: Evidence of enhanced system justification among the disadvantaged. European Journal of Social Psychology, 33(1), 13-36. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.127

Kraus, M. W., Piff, P. K., & Keltner, D. (2011). Social class as culture: The convergence of resources and rank in the social realm. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(4), 246-250. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721411414654

Levin, S., Federico, C. M., Sidanius, J., & Rabinowitz, J. L. (2002). Social dominance orientation and intergroup bias. Personality and Social Psychology bulletin, 28(2), 144-157. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167202282002

Levin, S., van Laar, C., & Sidanius, J. (2003). The effects of ingroup and outgroup friendships on ethnic attitudes in college: A longitudinal study. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 6(1), 76-92. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430203006001013

Libertad y Desarrollo. (2019, 22 de mayo). LYD propone una redefinición de la clase media. https://lyd.org/centro-de-prensa/noticias/2019/05/lyd-propone-una-redefinicion-de-la-clase-media/

Manstead, A. (2018). The psychology of social class: How socioeconomic status impacts thought, feelings, and behaviour. The British Journal of Social Psychology, 57(2), 267-291. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12251

McKeown, S., & Dixon, J. (2017). The “contact hypothesis”: Critical reflections and future directions. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 11(1) 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12295

Navarro Carrillo, G., Valor Segura, I., & Moya, M. (2018). Clase social y bienestar subjetivo: El rol mediador de la incertidumbre emocional. Behavioral Psychology/Psicología Conductual, 26(3), 457-472. https://www.behavioralpsycho.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/04._Navarro_26-3oa.pdf

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (2022). Income inequality. https://doi.org/10.1787/459aa7f1-en

Pettigrew, T. F. (2010). Commentary: South African contributions to the study of intergroup relations. Journal of Social Issues, 66(2), 417-430. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2010.01653.x

Pettigrew, T. F., & Tropp, L. R. (2006). A meta-analytic test of intergroup contact theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(5), 751-783. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.90.5.751

Prestwich, A., Kenworthy, J. B., Wilson, M., & Kwan-Tat, N. (2008). Differential relations between two types of contact and implicit and explicit racial attitudes. British Journal of Social Psychology, 47, 575-588. https://doi.org/10.1348/014466607X267470

R Core Team (2020). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R foundation for statistical computing, Vienna, Austria. 2014. R version 3.5.1. (2018-07-02).

Reimer, N. K., Kamble, S. V., Schmid, K., & Hewstone, M. (2020). Intergroup contact fosters more inclusive social identities. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 25(1), 133-157. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/zcgwt

Reimer, N. K., & Sengupta, N. K. (2022). Meta-analysis of the “ironic” effects of intergroup contact. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 124(2), 362–380. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000404

Stephan, W. G., & Stephan, C. W. (2000). An integrated threat theory of prejudice. En S. Oskamp (Ed.), The Claremont Symposium on Applied Social Psychology. Reducing prejudice and discrimination (pp. 23-45). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

Stephan, W. G., Ybarra, O., Martínez, C. M., Schwarzwald, J., & Tur-Kaspa, M. (1998). Prejudice toward immigrants to Spain and Israel: An integrated threat theory analysis. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 29(4), 559-576. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022198294004

Tan, J. J. X., Kraus, M. W., Carpenter, N. C., & Adler, N. E. (2020). The association between objective and subjective socioeconomic status and subjective well-being: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 146(11), 970-1020. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000258

Tang, B. W., & Tan, J. J. X. (2022). Subjective social class and life satisfaction: The role of class consistency and identity uncertainty. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 25, 60-74. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp.12488

Techakesari, P., Barlow, F. K., Hornsey, M. J., Sung, B., Thai, M., & Chak, J. L. Y. (2015). An investigation of positive and negative contact as predictors of intergroup attitudes in the United States, Hong Kong, and Thailand. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 46(3), 454-468. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022115570313

Turner, R. N., & Crisp, R. J. (2010). Imagining intergroup contact reduces implicit prejudice. British Journal of Social Psychology, 49, 129-142. https://doi.org/10.1348/014466609X419901

Turner, R. N., Hewstone, M., & Voci, A. (2007). Reducing explicit and implicit outgroup prejudice via direct and extended contact: The mediating role of self-disclosure and intergroup anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93(3), 369-388. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.93.3.369

Turner, R. N., West, K., & Christie, Z. (2013). Outgroup trust, intergroup anxiety, and out-group attitude as mediators of the effect of imagined intergroup contact on intergroup behavioral tendencies. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 43, 196-205. https://doi.org/10.1111/jasp.12019

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2017). Desiguales. Orígenes, cambios y desafíos de la brecha social en Chile. UNDP. https://www.undp.org/es/chile/publications/desiguales-origenes-cambios-y-desafios-de-la-brecha-social-en-chile

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2021). Regional human development report 2021. Trapped: High inequality and low growth in Latin America and the Caribbean. https://www.latinamerica.undp.org

Urbiola, A., Navas, M., Carmona, C., & Willis, G. B. (2022). Social class also matters: The Effects of social class, ethnicity, and their interaction on prejudice and discrimination toward Roma. Race and Social Problems. Publicación anticipada en línea. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-022-09368-1

Van Ryn, M., Hardeman, R., Phelan, S. M., Burgess, D. J., Dovidio, J. F., Herrin, J., Burke, S., Nelson, D., Perry, S., Yeazel, M., & Przedworski, J. M. (2015). Medical school experiences associated with change in implicit racial bias among 3547 students: A medical student Changes Study report. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 30, 1748-1756. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-015-3447-7

Vázquez, A., & Lois, D. (2020). Prejudice against members of a ridiculed working-class group. British Journal of Social Psychology, 59, 992-1017. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12373

Vezzali, L., Capozza, D., Stathi, S., & Giovannini, D. (2012). Increasing outgroup trust, reducing infrahumanization, and enhancing future contact intentions via imagined intergroup contact. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48(1), 437-440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2011.09.008

Voci, A., & Hewstone, M. (2003). Intergroup contact and prejudice toward immigrants in Italy: The mediational role of anxiety and the moderational role of group salience. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 6(1), 37-52. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430203006001011

World Bank. (2022). Gini index. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI