To Whom Can I Turn? Maintenance of Positive Intergroup Relations in the Face of Intergroup Conflict

Abstract

Intergroup conflict is a salient aspect of our social world, yet relatively little is known about the way intergroup conflicts affect subsequent intergroup interactions. The present research employed a daily diary methodology to examine how cross-group friendship affects intergroup approach and avoidance after intergroup conflict. After assessing the diversity and quality of participants’ social networks, the daily social interactions of 60 participants were tracked for 10 days. Among individuals with low-quality or no cross-group friends, intergroup conflict on a preceding day predicted reductions in self-initiated intergroup interactions on the following day. However, individuals with close cross-group friends did not avoid intergroup interactions after intergroup conflict. This effect was mediated by the degree to which people with close cross-group friends sought social support from out-group members in the social interactions that followed intergroup conflict. The implications of these findings for maintenance of positive intergroup relations are discussed.