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Comparing the effect of cross-group friendship on generalized trust to its effect on prejudice: The mediating role of threat perceptions and negative affect

Tijdschriftbijdrage - Tijdschriftartikel

Intergroup relations theory posits that cross-group friendship reduces threat perceptions and negative emotions about outgroups. This has been argued to mitigate the negative effects of ethnic diversity on generalized trust. Yet, direct tests of this friendship-trust relation, especially including perceptions of threat and negative affect as mediators, have remained rare at the individual level. In this article, we employ structural equation modelling (SEM) and bridge this research gap using representative data from eight European countries (Group-Focused Enmity). We specifically model mediated paths of cross-group friendship on generalized trust via perceptions of threat and negative affect, and compare these with paths to prejudice. We demonstrate that both the total effect as well as the (mediated) total indirect effect of cross-group friendship on generalized trust are weak compared to the effects on prejudice. These results suggest a minor role for cross-group friendship in fostering generalized trust, while its importance for reducing prejudice is confirmed.
Tijdschrift: PLOS ONE
ISSN: 1932-6203
Issue: 2
Volume: 16
Jaar van publicatie:2021
BOF-keylabel:ja
IOF-keylabel:ja
BOF-publication weight:1
Auteurs:International
Authors from:Higher Education
Toegankelijkheid:Open