Contact hypothesis

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In psychology and sociology, the contact hypothesis is a way to improving relations among groups that are experiencing conflict. Gordon Allport is considered to have defined the conditions for positive outcomes when rival groups are brought into contact. Issues of stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination are commonly occurring issues between rival groups. Allport's proposal was that properly managed contact between the groups should reduce these problems and lead to better interactions.

In order for this to occur, the following must be present:

Equal Status, both groups taken into an equal status relationship,
Cooperative Activity, both groups work on a problem/task and share this as a common goal, sometimes called a superordinate goal,
Personal Interaction, the task must be structured so that individual members of both groups are interdependent on each other to achieve this common goal,
Social Norms, some authority that both groups acknowledge define social norms that support the contact and interactions between the groups and members.

An Example of Contact Hypothesis:

Competitions are the reasons behind rivalries and fights. Many sports teams, sororities, fraternities, and businesses use the contact hypothesis technique. Having the two groups in competitions do something that requires the groups to work together helps break the rivalries and fights. The groups are given a project to complete, like raising money for a charity or hosting an event. The two groups must be given something that one group cannot complete. This will allow the groups to share a common goal and have equal status and cooperation. The most commonly seen version of contact hypothesis is in the juvenile system. Petty criminals perform community service together to decrease the amount of fights and competition in the system. This also helps the community and the individuals that might have been hurt by the petty criminal.

Once this task is complete it is hypothesized that the groups will find cohesion. The Contact Hypothesis (Allport, 1954), has influenced a broad application of this concept, attributing to the racial desegregation of schools and research on reducing racial, homosexual, age and AIDS based prejudices.