Intergroup Contact With a Virtual Refugee: Reducing Prejudice Through a Cooperative Game

Decades of research shows that intergroup contact can reduce prejudice and improve group relations under the right conditions. However, there are many practical and psychological barriers to intergroup contact. This study seeks to examine if intergroup contact with a virtual refugee can reduce prejudice, anxiety, and promote closeness and empathy toward refugees, especially in longitudinal contact experiences. A total of 156 undergraduate students participated in an experiment comparing two forms of intergroup contact with a virtual refugee (in-lab vs. take-home) to reading a news story about Syrian refugees. The findings showed that under a more controlled lab environment, intergroup contact with a virtual refugee is significantly better than the news story in promoting inclusion of others, and equally effective in increasing empathy and reducing perceived threat and anxiety. However, the take-home condition increased anxiety and made participants less willing to help refugees. The findings support that intergroup contact with a virtual refugee can be an efficient and effective way to reduce prejudice and promote intergroup attitudes under certain conditions. Public Policy Relevance Statement Interacting with virtual refugees can reduce prejudice towards refugees under the right conditions, but it can also increase anxiety by making the issues feel too close.