No abstract

Research on intergroup contact records, on the one hand, positive effects on prejudice reduction, but on the other hand, potential negative consequences for minority groups, due to the power discrepancies between the involved groups. This study sought to explore the longer-term effects of participating in an intergroup contact intervention on attitudes of Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs regarding relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel. Following the contact encounter, compared to a control condition, participants' perceptions of intergroup threat, outgroup trust, willingness to forgive the outgroup, and involvement in competitive victimhood were assessed. Results indicated the generally positive role that the contact intervention had on Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs participants. However, the effects among Israeli Arabs, compared to Israeli Jews, were significantly weaker, pointing to the potential effect of power asymmetry on the outcomes of intergroup contact. Potential explanations, as well as theoretical and practical implications of the findings, are discussed. Public Significance StatementContact-based interventions generally appear to be helpful in promoting intergroup cooperation and mutual understanding. However, as the present research that studied responses of Israeli-Arabs and Israeli-Jews shows, the power discrepancies between the groups can critically determine the impact of such intergroup encounter.