EFFECTS OF INDIVIDUATING INFORMATION ON THE GENERALIZATION PART OF ALLPORTS CONTACT HYPOTHESIS

According to Gordon Allport's contact hypothesis, positive contact wit h a member of a negatively stereotyped group might ameliorate negative attitudes not only toward the specific member but also toward the gro up as a whole (generalization). rn a direct empirical test of theoreti cal suggestions that individuating information might decrease the gene ralization part of the contact hypothesis, students learned material c ooperatively with a ''homosexual'' confederate. To illustrate the mate rial, the confederate used either impersonal or personal analogies. St udents in the two conditions liked the confederate equally, but studen ts who received personal analogies were less likely to ameliorate thei r attitudes toward homosexuals. The discussion addresses factors that might reduce the cognitive association between a group member and his or her group.