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Reducing prejudice in the society at large: A review of the secondary transfer effect and directions for future research
Author(s) -
Vezzali Loris,
Di Bernardo Gian Antonio,
Cocco Veronica Margherita,
Stathi Sofia,
Capozza Dora
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
social and personality psychology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.699
H-Index - 53
ISSN - 1751-9004
DOI - 10.1111/spc3.12583
Subject(s) - ingroups and outgroups , outgroup , prejudice (legal term) , psychology , contact hypothesis , generalization , social psychology , cognition , contact theory , cognitive psychology , epistemology , philosophy , structural engineering , neuroscience , engineering
The secondary transfer effect (STE) constitutes the generalization of the effects of intergroup contact from the outgroup one has contact with to uninvolved outgroups. In this article, we provide a review of the research on the STE. After presenting evidence on the robustness of the phenomenon, we discuss relevant mediating processes and outline a model that distinguishes them in three categories: mediators referring to the outgroup, mediators referring to the ingroup, and mediators referring to the self. We then present moderators of the STE, and recent evidence of the STE from indirect contact (extended, vicarious, and imagined contact) and from negative contact. By relying on our distinction in three sets of mediators, we suggest directions for future research, largely pointing to the importance of integrating the STE with research on generalized prejudice and of exploring contact as an agent of cognitive liberalization.