“…Moreover, friendship usually involves long-term cross-group interactions and interpersonal closeness, which is frequently based on strong affective ties. The notion that contact between groups involving friendship is especially powerful in changing intergroup attitudes has received growing empirical support over the last years (e.g., Aberson, Shoemaker, & Tomolillo, 2004;Jacobson & Johnson, 2006;Page-Gould, Mendoza-Denton, & Tropp, 2008;Paolini et al, 2004;Turner, Hewstone, Voci, Paolini, & Christ, 2007). According to a meta-analysis on cross-group friendship (Davies, Tropp, Aron, Pettigrew, & Wright, 2011), self-disclosure and time spent with out-group friends seem to be the two crucial aspects influencing intergroup attitudes.…”