Selection Bias in Virtual Intergroup Contact: Do Ambiguity and Self-Interest Moderate Ingroup Preference?

Abstract

Cross-race contact is thought to decrease prejudice if it occurs under the correct conditions. However, people who already have negative attitudes towards other races may structure their social environments so as to avoid contact. We predict that self-interest and ambiguity of the situation will influence this strategy of avoidance. The study presented made use of a computer-based tool which manipulated self-interest and task ambiguity in three team selection situations. The results (N = 818) showed that, for tasks with high ambiguity, participants preferred to select own-race members, but, contrary to expectation, low-ambiguity tasks produced an even greater degree of own-race bias. When self-interest was considered, tasks that implied material consequence led to more ingroup bias than tasks that had low material consequence. We concluded that the preferred team selection strategy was one of avoidance. This bias persisted even in situations where selecting a more competent high-contact team would have been in the participants' interest.