Investigating voluntary and involuntary intergroup contact

广泛的研究表明，对立群体之间的互动--群体间的接触--减少了偏见，提高了社会凝聚力。然而，如果群体间的接触被主动避免、被动接受或强制执行，这些好处可能无法实现。该项目借鉴社会心理学和人文地理学，旨在建立自愿接触发生的条件，以及自愿（与非自愿）群体间接触如何塑造多样性体验并影响社会态度，信任和公民参与。利用来自多个环境和参与人群的数据，该项目有可能为实现和谐、健康和富有成效的社区的干预措施和政策提供信息。

Extensive research suggests that interactions between people of opposing groups - intergroup contact - reduce prejudices and improve social cohesion. Yet these benefits may not be realised if intergroup contact is actively avoided, passively received, or mandated. Drawing from social psychology and human geography, this project aims to establish the conditions under which voluntary contact occurs and how voluntary (vs. involuntary) intergroup contact shapes diversity experiences and impacts social attitudes, trust, and civic participation. With data from multiple settings and participant populations, this project has the potential to inform interventions and policies that deliver harmonious, healthy and productive communities.