The interplay of positive and negative intergroup contact: Experiences of Latino/a Youth in the US

This study examines the interplay of positive and negative intergroup contact with majority group members from the perspective of ethnic minority youth. Taking a social identity approach, we posit that negative contact experiences (i.e., hostile interactions) may undermine the benefits of some positive contact experiences (i.e., friendly interactions) for minority contact orientations (e.g., openness to and anxiety about cross-group interactions). Conversely, for other positive contact experiences, in particular high-quality forms of positive contact (e.g., friendship), we expect that their beneficial effects will not be undermined, and that the adverse effects of negative contact may even be buffered by such high-quality positive contact experiences. We tested our predictions in a sample of U.S. Latino/a youth (N = 126) nested in 41 classrooms, using a multilevel design. As expected, friendly interactions predicted more favorable contact orientations only in the absence of negative contact, while high-quality positive contact robustly predicted more favorable contact orientations and even buffered negative contact effects. These findings illuminate how negative contact can cast a long shadow over the inclusion of minority youth in intergroup settings; moreover, they indicate the importance of curbing hostile treatment targeting minority youth and of promoting high-quality positive contact over and above mere friendly interactions.