The Antecedents of Intergroup Contact: A Multilevel Approach

Serman, Beatrix (2025) The Antecedents of Intergroup Contact: A Multilevel Approach. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Informal segregation and contact avoidance remain persistent challenges in contemporary societies, raising important questions for social psychologists about how to facilitate meaningful interactions between different social groups. This thesis addresses this issue by examining psychological and structural factors that shape intergroup contact behaviour, contributing to a new wave of research that shifts the focus from the consequences of contact to its antecedents. Across three multilevel studies, opportunities for contact at different geographical levels were measured alongside a broad range of psychological factors measured at the individual level. Study 1 analyzed secondary data from Round 7 of the European Social Survey (2014, N = 35,000), showing that high and moderate (vs. low) subjective perceptions of diversity at the individual level (Level 1) predicted more frequent contact with racial and ethnic outgroup members, whereas actual diversity at the country level (Level 2) was not significantly related to contact. Study 2 used the Eurobarometer 88.2 survey (2017, N = 28,000), demonstrating that neither country-level (Level 3) nor regional-level (Level 2) actual diversity were significantly associated with contact. In contrast, individual-level (Level 1) perceived diversity showed a significant positive association as those with high and moderate (vs. low) perceptions of diversity reported greater contact engagement with non-EU immigrants. Furthermore, greater prejudice, higher threat perceptions and rightist as well as centrist (vs. leftist) political views predicted less outgroup contact, whereas attitudes supporting immigration and supportive local norms were linked to more frequent contact. Study 3 provided the most fine-grained analysis by measuring demographic diversity at the neighbourhood level. It also explored how structural and psychological factors influenced both the frequency of interethnic contact and the formation of interethnic friendships, as well as how these relationships varied by ethnic group status. Multilevel analysis of Round 7 of the British Citizenship Survey (2011, N = 16,000) revealed that greater neighbourhood diversity was associated with significantly more frequent interethnic contact for ethnic majority group members, those who perceived higher ethnic diversity, had a stronger perception of national norms, expressed greater trust in people in their neighbourhood and showed higher support for multiculturalism. Additionally, greater neighbourhood diversity predicted a higher number of interethnic friendships for ethnic majority group members, those with a stronger perception of ethnic diversity and lower identification with their ethnic background. These findings provide valuable insights into the psychological characteristics of individuals who are most and least likely to engage with diversity, as well as for whom greater opportunities for cross-group interactions translate to greater contact engagement. A better understanding of contact antecedents not only advances the contact literature but also helps shape future social policies aimed at fostering more cohesive communities.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	22 Dec 2025 09:47
Last Modified:	22 Dec 2025 09:47
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/101469
DOI:

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