Topic > The effects of imagined intergroup contact on…

Australia's multicultural society involves cultural and linguistic diversity, which offers many advantages in economic, developmental and other aspects. Undoubtedly the coin has two sides. Racial, political, and educational issues have emerged above a multicultural context that includes the individual and society as a whole. All individuals have the right to express their culture and beliefs, therefore, friction between groups seems to be the gray side of diversity. The expected improvement in attitudes towards minority groups and issues relating to prejudice are always the topic under discussion (7). Addressing the negative consequences of diversity is challenging and various strategies are available. Recently, imagined contact has become one of the solutions, and it has been particularly designed to reduce negative attitudes toward outgroups (Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006). The meta-analysis conducted by Pettigrew and Tropp (2006) proposed that ample evidence supports intergroup contact, which based on the experience of real contact, produces the effective influence on reducing both affective and cognitive forms of prejudice and prejudice, regardless of the target group, age group, geographical area. However, Allport (1954) (cited in Pettigrew & Tropp, p.752, 2006) who introduced the first theory of intergroup contact, specified that the effect of reducing negative intergroup attitudes could be achieved maximally under the four optimal conditions: status of equal group within the situation, common goals, cooperation between groups and support of authority. Pettigrew and Tropp (2006) revealed that such conditions simply facilitate effectiveness but are not necessary for the contact process. Based on the theory of operational and effective intergroup contact, while facilitatory conditions can… half of the article… Pre and post tests are recommended, rather than a single post test on manipulated participants, which will make more sense of how the imagined contact on participants with different individual characteristics, despite sharing the same identity. Overall, imagined contact is a strategy effect to reduce negative attitude and desegregation and increase the likelihood of future contact through cognitive modality (3). It elicits the indirect impacts of social contact, which allows it to be an effective tool for professionals and policy makers to promote tolerance of multiculturalism. Future research direction could focus on different forms of stewardship that can be broadly applied to different situations and populations, and address strategies to implement eye contact more effectively on multicultural populations to improve tolerance of social diversity.