A Sociocultural Perspective of Interracial Contact: Examining the Efficacy of Sociocultural Contact on Black and White Interracial Experiences

Abstract This research investigates the relationship between sociocultural interracial contact (individuals' engagement with or sharing aspects related to outgroup members' or their own racial background, respectively) and intrapsychic (e.g., prejudice), interpersonal (e.g., future interactions), and systemic (e.g., collective action) race-related outcomes. Integrating research on interracial interaction, intergroup contact, and cultural psychology insights on the sociocultural self, three pilots and three studies extend the selves-in-contact framework proposed by Brannon, Taylor, and colleagues (2017) to evaluate how engaging with another's sociocultural background during interracial contact benefits interracial attitudes. Further, it tests the role of intergroup anxiety, meta-stereotypes, (meta-)empathy, and (meta-)knowledge in explaining race-related outcomes. Pilot 1 and Study 1 find that, among Black Americans, high-quality sociocultural interracial contact is associated with positive feelings toward White Americans, intentions to engage in interracial contact, and collective action. Pilots 2-3 and Study 2 show that, among White Americans, high-quality sociocultural interracial contact is related to positive feelings towards Black Americans, intentions to engage in interracial contact, and collective action. Study 3 examines the causal relationship between imagined sociocultural interracial contact and race-related outcomes among Black Americans. While imagined sociocultural contact does not produce the same outcomes as Studies 1-2, imagining interacting with a White partner produces negative affective and meta-cognitive outcomes. These studies demonstrate that naturally occurring and greater quality sociocultural contact is associated with improved interracial outcomes for both Black and White individuals. Nevertheless, future work is needed to understand the causal impact of sociocultural interracial contact on Black Americans.