The contact hypothesis states that
A)we are more likely to make an internal attribution of someone's behaviour when we have more contact with that person.
B)we are less likely to stereotype someone as we have more interaction with him/her.
C)social identity theory only applies to people who have personal contact with the groups to whom they identify.
D)self-fulfilling prophecy occurs only when the target individual does not personally meet the person making the prophecy.
E)our tendency to stereotype people increases with our frequency of contact with them.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The contact hypothesis suggests that intergroup contact, especially when it involves cooperation towards a common goal, can reduce prejudice and stereotyping by increasing familiarity and empathy with the out-group, and by challenging negative stereotypes. Therefore, option B correctly reflects the essence of the contact hypothesis. Option A is incorrect because it refers to internal attributions, which are not necessarily related to the contact hypothesis. Option C is incorrect because social identity theory applies to all types of group identification, regardless of personal contact. Option D is incorrect because self-fulfilling prophecy can occur regardless of personal contact. Finally, option E is incorrect because the contact hypothesis predicts the opposite: more contact should decrease stereotyping.

The Contact Hypothesis States That