It is worth taking a closer look: A field experiment on intergroup contact between Austrian pupils and refugees

Abstract

Intergroup contact is an effective way to improve intergroup relations, but appropriate evaluative and field research is lacking. We assessed the short- and long-term effectiveness of intergroup contact between refugees and pupils with the workshop “Taking a Closer Look.” A total of 388 pupils from 11 Austrian schools were divided into two groups: the contact group attended the workshop including intergroup contact; and the no-contact group, without it. Intergroup contact predicted changes from 1 week before to immediately after the workshop: The pupils’ attitudes toward refugees improved in the contact group, whereas they remained unchanged in the no-contact group. Empathy, support for refugee-friendly policies, and willingness to engage in intergroup contact increased in both groups, but significantly stronger in the contact group. Intergroup anxiety decreased and knowledge about refugees increased equally in both groups. One month after the workshop, this knowledge gain remained stable in both groups, but the other effects disappeared.