Interactive mediated contact on social media: Mechanisms and effects on attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees

Abstract

This study examined the effects of interactive mediated contact, intergroup contact enabled by social media engagement, on attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees, as well as the psychological mechanisms underlying these effects, such as empathy and perceived threat. A three-wave longitudinal survey of 555 US adults was conducted in March and May 2022. The results of a cross-lagged panel model showed that interactive mediated contact predicted greater empathy and perceived threat. Subsequently, these two factors predicted positive and negative attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees, respectively. Empathy and perceived threat mediated the effect of interactive mediated contact on intergroup attitudes over time. Furthermore, intergroup attitudes predicted increased empathy and decreased perceived threat subsequently, but did not predict further interactive mediated contact on social media. This study contributes to our understanding of mediated contact in social media environment.