Does the out‐group recognize our mental skills? Cross‐group friendships, extended contact, and the expectation of humanizing perceptions from the out‐group

Abstract

Recent research has shown the negative effect of meta‐dehumanization: the perception that out‐group members deny a fully human status to the in‐group. So far, no strategies have been investigated that allow the improvement of humanity meta‐attributions. In this work, we focused on the two mind perception dimensions: agency (e.g., the capacity of planning actions) and experience (e.g., the capacity of feeling emotions), and investigated whether direct and indirect intergroup friendships are associated with the expectation that the out‐group will recognize our mental capacities. A survey was conducted considering the relationship between two regional groups in Italy (Northern and Southern Italians). Participants were Northern university students. A two‐level mediation model was tested, in which the exogenous variables were cross‐group friendship and extended contact, the first‐level mediators were IOS (the inclusion of the out‐group in the self mechanism), in‐group and out‐group norms, and the second‐level mediators were anxiety, empathy, and trust toward the out‐group. The dependent variables were the evaluations of agency and experience regarding one's group (Northerners) expected by Southerners. Models were estimated by path analysis with observed variables. To replicate prior findings, the attributions of agency and experience to the out‐group (Southerners) were also assessed. Results showed that both direct and indirect friendships are related to more positive meta‐attributions through the mediation of affective and cognitive factors. Findings have practical implications: contact may favor the expectation of being perceived both as moral agents and as moral patients, thus improving intergroup relations.

The role of common ingroup identity in promoting social change among tribes in Nigeria

“…Research has shown that common identity can be fueled by a range of factors, like an external threat (Vezzali et al, 2015) or intergroup contact (Capozza et al, 2013). There is evidence that common identity mediates the relationship between and collective action.…”

“…On one side, contact literature has provided evidence that common identity predicts more positive attitudes toward the outgroup and more positive feelings toward its members (Gaertner et al, 1994). For instance, Capozza et al (2013) conducted two correlational studies using Italians (Study 1) and Northerners (Study 2) as majority group participants. They found that common identity as Italians was associated with increased empathy and lower anxiety toward immigrants and Southerners, respectively, and in turn, greater humanity attribution.…”

The Mediating Role of Psychological Safety in the Impact of Workplace Friendship on Creativity

“…Promoting workplace friendships and ensuring employee psychological comfort will assist organizations in gaining a competitive advantage by enhancing creativity and, consequently, innovation (Mujerke and Metiu, 2020). Therefore, arranging the workplace culture and environment to support creativity will fully unleash the potential of the workforce (Capozza et al, 2020).…”

We-experiences and the maintenance of workplace friendships: Being workplace friends together

“…Once established, workplace friendships provide a climate of trust, intimacy and openness and afford the possibilities for moral learning (Blatterer, 2021). For example, Capozza et al (2020) showed the value of such friendships in combatting biased perceptions and discrimination (p. 524). Similarly, Callagher et al (2021) illustrate how a support network based on camaraderie and professional development helped early career researchers deal with identity threats from discrimination in the field.…”