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Over the course of his career, Reuben Baron challenged traditional psychological perspectives in his endeavor to study the rich phenomena that comprise our lives. He pioneered a connection between ecological and social psychology through his application of a dynamical systems approach to the social world. As a result, social psychologists were provided with an alternative framework that accounted for more nuance in exchanges among individuals and groups. In this article, we revisit Baron's proposition that interdependencies such as exchange and communal relationships overlay the local and global dynamics of social development. We highlight two special topics of burgeoning interest within intergroup relations research that we propose may benefit from a more comprehensive integration of the dynamical systems implications for exchange and development. Specifically, we demonstrate how insights from the dynamical systems approach may stand to further enrich research and theory on intergroup friendships (i.e. close relationships between individuals who hold different salient social identities) and prejudice confrontations (i.e. behavioral responses that communicate displeasure with an expression of prejudice). In doing so, we provide a framework for how further work may explicitly draw from dynamical systems perspectives to better understand real-world processes that shape intergroup relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global surge of political polarization poses a significant threat to liberal democracies. The prevailing "us-versus-them" mentality prevents leaders from effectively addressing societal issues. While intergroup dialogue shows promise in bridging divisions among diverse identity groups, the dynamics of real-life conversations between individuals with opposing political identities remain underexplored. This study investigates a unique case study of constructive face-to-face interactions among American political elites on a contentious issue. By examining how opposing leaders collaborate towards shared goals, the research identifies communicative actions that can reduce polarization. This study delves into the complex dynamics of polarization, as both an issue-based and identity-based conflict, focusing on interactional framing strategies leaders use to navigate their differences. The findings reveal that political leaders bridge ideological divides by embracing multiple frames, reconnecting conflicting frames, and developing neutral non-political frames. They also foster positive relations, use superordinate identities, and decrease social distance, thereby bridging their identity gap. By fostering convergence rather than accentuating differences, they effectively counteract polarization. Studying rare examples of constructive bipartisan collaboration offers valuable insights into reducing polarization, restoring political trust among the general public, and mitigating broader societal impacts, ultimately strengthening the foundations of a healthy democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although teams of negotiators are widely assumed to be better at unlocking integrative solutions compared to individual negotiators, the interteam negotiation context is characterized by unique challenges that can make effective collaboration between teams difficult. We extend our theoretical understanding of interteam negotiations by offering novel insights about when and why teams realize their potential in integrative negotiations. Specifically, we propose a theoretical model that explains how hierarchical team structures reduce information elaboration within teams, which reinforces "fixed-pie" assumptions that prompt the reliance on value-claiming behaviors between teams and lower high-quality outcomes such as the joint gain achieved. Across four studies, each involving interactive team-on-team negotiations, we provide support for the hypothesized effects of formal intrateam hierarchies on joint gain, and test a useful intervention to mitigate the harmful effects of hierarchically structured teams at the negotiation table. Contributions to the literatures on team negotiations, interteam collaboration, and hierarchical differences within teams are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between Chinese Indonesians and native Indonesians (Pribumi) is marred by tensions and violence. The Dutch colonial legacies have positioned Chinese Indonesians as perpetual outsiders, making them constantly question their roles and identity in the process of Indonesian nation-building. Despite their centuries-old presence and Indonesia's almost three decades of reform, prejudice towards Chinese Indonesians persists. This was reflected in the 2017 Indonesia National Survey Project, suggesting native Indonesians still perceive their Chinese Indonesian counterparts as an economically privileged group, greedy, selfish, and exclusive. Using integrated threat theory, this study explores the link between the perception of threats and prejudice towards Chinese Indonesians. Using multiple regression analysis, this study found stereotypes, realistic threats, history of intergroup conflicts, and age are strong predictors of prejudice towards the ethnic Chinese in Indonesia. Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications for integrated threat and prejudice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces the concept of "topic territoriality," a mechanism that governs participation in conversational spaces. When a discussion becomes prone to territorialization, individuals are more likely to claim topics (participating in discussions about topics they own as "stakeholders") and defer (reducing participation in topics owned by others). They are also more likely to patrol topic boundaries (monitoring who is participating and confronting topic "intruders"). We document the operation of topic territoriality by analyzing 112,278 conversational turns on Weibo before and after a policy that reveals users' broad geographic locations. We find that revealing these locations increased territorial behaviors, leading to more homogenous participation in conversations. Although the display of locations has improved the overall civility in language, the confrontations between stakeholders and intruders became more toxic. Our research emphasizes the impact of topic territoriality in online conversations and sheds light on the unintended consequences of social media policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Global progress in combatting climate change is being slowed by intergroup conflict and tribalism. Addressing the intergroup tensions of today is a pre‐requisite for avoiding violent intergroup tensions in the future, tensions that may threaten societal structures we currently take for granted. This paper highlights five sources of intergroup conflict that compromise humans’ ability to effectively and swiftly respond to climate change: political tribalism, populist suspicion of elites, regional differences within nations, international conflicts, and tensions between and within activist identities. We then draw on established and emerging social psychological theorising to describe five strategies for constructively managing this intergroup conflict: maintaining climate justice, reducing disinformation and silencing bad‐faith actors, maintaining cohesion among progressive forces, focusing on trusted messengers, and empathic communication. Throughout we underscore the extent to which policy making and strategic communication can play roles in depolarising debate about climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Intergroup contact has long been established as a prejudice‐reduction tool in divided societies, with contact being particularly effective during adolescence. A large proportion of evidence, however, draws on cross‐sectional surveys or analytical approaches that do not distinguish between‐ and within‐person effects. In the present research, we address this by exploring the potential of intergroup contact longitudinally on social cohesion–related outcomes amongst youth (aged 14–19) in Belfast (Study 1, N = 231) and Bradford (Study 2, N = 159). Measures included intergroup contact, outgroup attitudes, intergroup anxiety, outgroup empathy and outgroup prosocial behaviour across three time points. Using random‐intercept cross‐lagged panel models, results demonstrate between‐person associations of contact with our outcomes, but limited within‐person changes. Our findings demonstrate the potential and limitations of intergroup contact for social cohesion–related outcomes for youth growing up in divided societies, pointing to the need for developmental‐focused future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The communication classroom has long explored various matters of speech. More recently, conversations about hate speech have emerged here. However, less attention has been paid to how hate is mobilized through communication. Thus, this course explores the communicative nature of hatred by interrogating its role in the formation of social identity and perpetuation of exclusionary discourses in our rhetorical landscape. Students engage in self-reflection by embracing theories of social identity, intergroup communication, and rhetoric to examine the concept of hatred while assignments improve students' comprehension of hate's communicative power, mobilizing potential, and constituting capacities. Course: This course is an upper-level undergraduate special topics course titled "The Mobilization of Hate." It can be situated in the recurring communication curriculum. Alternatively, content could be modified to serve as a themed version of other courses. Objectives: Students should be better equipped to: (1) recognize how intergroup formation centered on hate helps to constitute individuals' social identities; (2) comprehend how discourses of hate proliferate in public spaces; (3) understand various communicative processes that give rise to acts of hate; (4) articulate the individual, group-based, and rhetorical features of hate; and (5) recognize the personal, social, and rhetorical implications of the mobilization of hate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to other medical experts, public health officials face added scrutiny of their pro-vaccine messages due to distrust of the US federal government. We consider reactions to such critical messages through the lens of conversational norms. Conversational pragmatics suggest that polite communication is essentially cooperative in nature, avoiding criticism of the other or excessive praise of the self. Applied to intergroup communication, this suggests that critical messages from outgroups will be viewed as impolite. Distrusted outgroup sources (such as government officials) are particularly expected to be uncooperative and impolite, increasing message rejection. Importantly, this perspective suggests that apologizing for the norm violation should mitigate these effects. Applying this reasoning to scientific messaging, we demonstrate that a message critical of the under-vaccinated is more likely to be rejected if made by a US federal public health official than by a private medical expert. However, this effect is reduced if the public health official apologizes in advance for violating the norm against criticizing other groups. Improved perceptions of the apologizing source’s motives and reduced message threat were associated with higher vaccination intentions. Practical and theoretical implications for intergroup communication are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive intergroup communication reduces outgroup prejudice. Attempting to decompose the effect of intergroup contact more precisely, we argue that engaging in different activities during intergroup communication influences prejudice through different pathways. We investigated whether exposure to interactive videos involving cognitive, affective, and behavioral activities reduces outgroup prejudice through relevant mediators (knowledge, empathy, and synchronization). We found support for the effect of dancing (behavioral activity) and language learning (cognitive activity) on outgroup prejudice through the relevant mediators: synchronization and knowledge, respectively. Also, we demonstrated a long-term effect of mediated intergroup contact: the mediation path from dance through synchronization lasted a week after the intervention. We discuss the importance of the content of intergroup communication and its implications for creating prejudice-reduction interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore telerobotics as a novel form of intergroup communication. In this form, remotely operated robots facilitate embodied and situated intergroup contact between groups in conflict over long distances, potentially reducing prejudice and promoting positive social change. Based on previous conceptual frameworks and design hypotheses, we conducted a survey on the acceptance and preferences of the telerobotic medium in Israel and Palestine. We analyzed the responses using a mixed-method approach. The results shed light on differences in attitudes between the groups and design considerations for telerobots when used for intergroup contact. This study serves as a foundation for the implementation of a novel method of technology-enhanced conflict resolution in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable research on intergroup relations emphasizes attitudes, motivations, and emotions that lead to the reduction of prejudice. While factors that actively promote positive intergroup interactions have been emerging, a central theoretical framework has not been formally proposed. To address this gap, we engaged a positive psychology lens to explore how researchers have defined key indicators and consider the positive counterparts of traditional prejudice-reduction models to begin building a new framework of egalitarianism. After scanning 16,840 records that emerged in PsycInfo using keywords "egalitarian", "non-prejudice", and "intergroup", we assessed 158 articles for eligibility. Among the relevant articles (N = 54), we analyzed authors' definitions, methods of measurement, types of processes, and outcomes associated with egalitarian values as they related to intergroup behavior. Overall, there was notable variability in how researchers conceptualized and studied egalitarianism. We discuss the five broad categories of egalitarianism (prejudice reduction, universal orientation, concern for others, positive expression, and low social dominance orientation) and how they relate to positive or negative and approach or avoidant outcomes. Through these findings, we urge scholars to utilize a centralized model for studying egalitarianism in intergroup contexts moving forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a timely and recent domain of intergroup relations scholarship that focuses on communication between police and the public—a domain we have previously described as intergroup par excellence. We begin with a brief overview of research on this topic, and then introduce four interrelated areas of research that illustrate the diversity and relevance of this approach: policing and stereotyping, communication accommodation (and nonaccommodation) by police officials, intergroup contact and communication interventions that seek to improve relations between the police and the public, and the role of intergroup communication in translating scientific evidence into police policy and practice. Finally, we provide a critical research agenda that includes an integrated model of intergroup communication and policing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some people deliberately spread conspiracy theories. What are the reputational benefits and costs of doing so? The Adaptive‐Conspiracism hypothesis proposes that it pays to be vigilant against possible conspiracies, especially in case of intergroup threat. Those who spread conspiracy theories may therefore be seen as valuable group members. Few studies have focused on the reputational impact of spreading a conspiracy theory. We conducted five studies (NPilot = 303; NStudy1 = 388; NStudy2 = 560; NStudy3 = 391; NStudy4 = 373) where participants rated a conspiracy spreader (vs. a neutral person) on a range of personality traits in different intergroup contexts. The results indicated that conspiracy spreaders were consistently perceived as more dominant and less warm than people making non‐conspiratorial claims about certain events. Moreover, intergroup conflict attenuated the negative effects of spreading conspiracy theories on competence and warmth. These findings support the notion that besides drawbacks, spreading conspiracy theories can have benefits for the spreader's reputation, particularly during an intergroup conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the results of an experiment (N = 502) investigating how speakers are socially categorized based on accent (Standard American English [SAE] or Nigerian) and race (White or Black) separately and concurrently, as well as the intergroup outcomes of such categorizations as mediated by language attitudes (status, solidary, and dynamism). Findings revealed that SAE-accented speakers were evaluated more favorably than Nigerian-accented speakers on status. Status also mediated the relationship between accent and (a) symbolic threat and (b) social distance. Additionally, Black males were rated higher on solidarity and dynamism than White males. Finally, status mediated the combined effect of the speaker's race and accent on symbolic threat, intergroup anxiety, and social distance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's Belt and Road Initiative has galvanized new Chinese migration to Southeast Asia, including Indonesia. The presence of the new Chinese migrants (Xinyimin) has not gone without resistance in Indonesia. This study examines the effects of history of intergroup conflicts and contact on the formation of threat perceptions toward the Xinyimin in Indonesia. The findings revealed both history of conflicts and contact predict realistic threat and highlight the importance of open communication in mitigating intergroup biases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of intergroup contact of White British adults (N = 192) on the language used when describing their recent interactions with Asian British people. Specifically, we assessed the role of different forms of intergroup contact (i.e., cross-group friendship, positive and negative, and direct and extended contact) on the abstraction of negative terms used by White British people, as a linguistic measure of outgroup derogation. As expected, the frequency of direct negative intergroup contact was associated with higher negative language abstraction in depicting Asian British people. However, this association was weaker for White British people with higher levels of positive direct and extended intergroup contacts compared to those with lower levels of positive direct and extended contact. Overall, results emphasize the importance of independently analyzing the impact of positive and negative intergroup contact experiences, as well as understanding how they interact with each other in the communication of intergroup discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on Branscombe et al.'s conceptualization of social identity threat, we developed and validated a multidimensional measure of this concept: the Social Identity Threat Scale (SITS). We conducted three studies that examined social identity threat to U.S. Americans (Study 1, N = 468; Study 2, N = 457) and e-cigarette users (Study 3, N = 395) when they read negative messages directed at their social groups. Results provided evidence for the reliability, criterion-related validity, and construct validity of the SITS. Moreover, findings showed that social identity threat can be represented by five types of threat—categorization, distinctiveness, competence, morality, and generalized threats. The measure can be an essential tool for future research on social identity threat and for studies of intergroup relations more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of perceiving individuals within and outside of social groups, there are distinct cognitive processes and mechanisms in the brain. Extensive research in recent years has delved into the neural mechanisms that underlie differences in how we perceive individuals from different social groups. To gain a deeper understanding of these neural mechanisms, we present a comprehensive review from the perspectives of facial recognition and memory, intergroup identification, empathy, and pro-social behavior. Specifically, we focus on studies that utilize functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and event-related potential (ERP) techniques to explore the relationship between brain regions and behavior. Findings from fMRI studies reveal that the brain regions associated with intergroup differentiation in perception and behavior do not operate independently but instead exhibit dynamic interactions. Similarly, ERP studies indicate that the amplitude of neural responses shows various combinations in relation to perception and behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contact hypothesis purports that intergroup interactions under particular conversational conditions are more likely to lead to positive outcomes, including a decrease in prejudice. Extending the contact hypothesis by conceptualizing conditions as unfolding communicative processes, we held focus group/interviews with 35 facilitators from 14 community organizations that conduct interracial conversations about race. We used thematic analysis to discern the conditions and their enactment (i.e., dynamics) and employed grounded theory to assess any relationships across these conditions and their dynamics. We found six conversational conditions (interracial co-facilitation, using community agreements, adapting to participants' readiness, equalizing communication, creating welcoming spaces, and promoting critical consciousness), each of which involved particular conversational dynamics that elaborated on what occurs when the conditions are implemented. Our overarching analysis reflected that the facilitators were involved in building a container for dialogue that has the potential to be transformative within the communities they facilitated and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity permits students to reflect on the ways their own identities are privileged or further marginalized during the recruitment process. Students determine ways to re-create job descriptions that remove inequitable language, such as shifting from trait-based language to behavioral-based language and the inclusion of expectation-lowering procedures. The activity also results in students' recognition of the larger problem of sex segregation and sex spillover in the creation of realistic job previews. Courses:Organizational Communication, Training and Development, Business and Professional Communication, Intergroup Communication, Gender Communication, and Intercultural Communication. Learning Objectives:After completing this activity, students will be able to (1) reflect on their own dispositions toward a job description, (2) determine stereotypical feminine and masculine language in a job description, (3) apply behavioral-based language to a job description, and (4) apply sex segregation and sex spillover to realistic job previews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our research examines perceptions of emotional support messages characterized by high verbal person-centeredness (VPC) when sent from an outgroup versus an ingroup member. We conducted two experiments in which White participants (N1 = 206, N2 = 166) imagined receiving a high VPC support message from a White (ingroup) or Black (outgroup) peer. Counter to our hypotheses drawn from expectancy violations theory, both studies revealed that participants perceived high VPC from a Black peer as more expected than high VPC from a White peer. In a highly salient intergroup context (Study 1), high VPC from the outgroup predicted greater perceived support effectiveness and support provider liking and trustworthiness. Implications of our findings for intergroup and supportive communication theory are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conflict between groups plays a powerful role in shaping social interaction within groups. Within groups, social status—respect, prestige, and deference—organizes, motivates, and stratifies social interaction. Yet, studies exploring how conflict between groups shapes social status within groups are relatively rare. We argue that intergroup conflict creates opportunities for individuals to gain or lose status by demonstrating group commitment. We examine two contrasting intergroup behaviors—revenge and forgiveness—and evaluate the idea that these behaviors will be viewed as status-worthy to the extent that they are perceived to signal group motivation. Furthermore, we test the hypothesis that avengers and forgivers gain status by offering group-motivated accounts of their behavior. Pairing an original national probability sample with an experimental survey design, we examine how avengers and forgivers are viewed in everyday conflicts across three widely held identities: national identity, political partisanship, and sports team fandom. We find that Americans perceive intergroup forgiveness as more status-worthy, and a stronger indicator of group motivation, than intergroup revenge. In open-ended survey questions, forgiving ingroup members were described as more status-worthy, competent, and warm, and less dominant than their vengeful counterparts. However, we find little evidence that individuals can directly gain status by claiming that their actions are motivated by concern for the group. Our work speaks to theories of conflict, identity, and social status. More broadly, understanding how Americans value intergroup revenge and forgiveness offers insight into the frequency and intensity of identity-based conflict in contemporary American society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research suggests that contemporary American society is marked by heightened hostile racial rhetoric, alongside increasing salience of White nationalists who justify an ideology of racial hierarchy with claims of biological superiority. Media coverage of such genetics research has often emphasized a deterministic (or causal) narrative by suggesting that specific genes directly increase negative outcomes and highlighting reported genetic differences between racial groups. Across two experimental studies, we examine the effect of the media's portrayal of scientific findings linking genes with negative health and behavioral outcomes on measures of racism. We find that deterministic genetic attributions for health and behavioral outcomes can lead to more negative racial out-group attitudes. Importantly, we also investigate potential interventions in the presentation of genetic science research. Our research has implications for understanding racial attitudes and racialized ideology in contemporary American politics, as well as for framing scientific communication in intergroup contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the evident socioecological importance, knowledge of olfactory communication in Neotropical primates is in its infancy. Thus, to aid our understanding, we report on and describe olfactory communication behavior in Endangered Coimbra-Filho's titi monkey (Callicebus coimbrai) in two Atlantic Forest fragments in northeastern Brazil. We discuss our data using intragroup (communication and sexual attraction) and intergroup (territoriality) contexts. We systematically observed two titi monkey groups, one at Fazenda Trapsa (21 mo: 1513 h) and another at Mata do Junco (11 mo: 683 h). We recorded data on olfactory signals via all-occurrence sampling. We registered 14 olfaction-linked events in which the titi monkey pressed the right hand against the gular and sternal body regions and then wiped the palm repeatedly on the nearby branch. Adult males performed 11 events, whereas adult females performed the remaining 3. Most events associated with intragroup encounters had a sexual context. The events related to intergroup encounters appeared to be related to territorial defense. Our study provides the first evidence that Coimbra-Filho's titi monkey uses olfactory communication for both intragroup and intergroup communication. Dominance, mate attraction, and territorial defense functions shown by Coimbra-Filho titi monkeys in their olfactory behaviors provide new insights into the socioecology of Callicebusand potential themes for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schadenfreude is a joyful emotional response to the misfortune of others. Individuals' schadenfreude over the misfortunes of ingroup and outgroup members may vary depending on how groups interact. Accordingly, this study examines the effects of different social interaction patterns and group identity on schadenfreude and their mechanisms. The study participants were Chinese college students. Study 1 (n = 83) investigated whether there are differences in individuals' schadenfreude towards ingroup and outgroup members under two different patterns of social interaction: cooperation and competition. On the basis of this study, Study 2 (n = 73) focused on the mechanisms underlying the influence of individuals' Schadenfreude on ingroup and outgroup members in competitive situations, and the mediating role of disgust. It was found that there was an interaction between group identity and social interaction patterns, with people showing more schadenfreude over the misfortunes of outgroup members than ingroup members, and competitive situations increasing disgust and schadenfreude over outgroup members. However, no differences were found in individuals' schadenfreude towards ingroup and outgroup members in cooperative situations. This is instructive in terms of real-life intergroup relations as well as patterns of social interaction. This proves that cooperation and group contact is a way to reduce schadenfreude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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To reduce prejudice and to promote intergroup harmony and equality, the imagined intergroup contact technique, based on the mental simulation of an encounter with an outgroup member, has been proposed. Though a substantial body of research has provided support for the efficacy of imagined intergroup contact in prejudice reduction, an alternative strand of research has raised questions about its effectiveness. In this experiment, we combined imagined intergroup contact with cultural humility, that is, an other-oriented, humble approach toward people with different cultural backgrounds, recognizing status and power imbalances and privileges. Specifically, we tested whether instructions aimed at eliciting cultural humility during imagined contact boosted its effectiveness in reducing prejudice and promoting future contact intentions, compared to a standard imagined contact condition and to a control imagination task. Intergroup anxiety was tested as a mediator of the effects of culturally humble imagined contact on reduced prejudice and on future contact intentions. We found that culturally humble imagined contact, compared to the two other conditions, reduced intergroup anxiety and yielded indirect effects on reduced prejudice and increased future contact intentions. The findings will be discussed by focusing on the integration of cultural humility in prejudice reduction techniques based on intergroup contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas a majority of research on intergroup bias has focused on general attitudes and behaviors toward outgroups, there is a growing body of scholarship focusing on factors that lead to helping, supporting, and general compassion or caring for outgroups. Building on research pointing to families as a site of socialization for outgroup attitudes, we employ a memorable message framework to identify various types of messages individuals recall receiving related to mass suffering in the world and outgroup concern. Participants completed open-ended responses about familial messages as part of a larger study on ingroup and outgroup attitudes. Four main themes emerged in the analysis: rationalizing mass suffering, support and action, understanding privilege, and obligation. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for the role of families in the development of prosocial attitudes and more inclusive, empathetic worldviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dehumanization in various forms often accompanies intergroup relations. While it is not clear whether it is a signifier of hostility or rather a source of it, there is a clear link - when dehumanization occurs between groups, we can expect effects ranging from a lack of mutual pro-sociality to an endorsement of violence against an out-group. Our study tested whether mutual dehumanization and meta-dehumanization (the belief that we are being dehumanized by an out-group) occur between supporters and opponents of a COVID-19 vaccine. Using a diverse sample (n = 1262) of residents of Poland, the USA and RPA, we investigated whether attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines can form the basis of an in-group preference and to what extent such groups would dehumanize their opponents. We found evidence for strong in-group preferences among both vaccine enthusiasts and vaccine skeptics. We also found evidence of mutual dehumanization and meta-dehumanization. This dehumanization was particularly pronounced in the case of more extreme forms (as assessed by direct dehumanization and blatant dehumanization measures) and marginally present in the case of subtle dehumanization (as assessed by dual model dehumanization). Vaccine enthusiasts dehumanized vaccine skeptics in all aspects measured, vaccine skeptics dehumanized vaccine enthusiasts in all aspects except one - they did not dehumanize them mechanistically. Overall, the dehumanization found was strong, universal across the countries studied, and largely unspecific. Contrary to our predictions, we did not find many distinctive forms of dehumanization specific to a particular target group - the dehumanization observed was largely symmetrical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does interpersonal exposure to immigrants influence citizens' opinions about immigrants? The Intergroup Contact Theory (ICT) famously predicts improved attitudes under certain circumstances. However, research on the population innumeracy phenomenon predicts that this same exposure may worsen demographic misperceptions about immigrants. The current study seeks to analyze these contradictory possibilities with data on native-born citizens' encounters with non-EU immigrants from the 2017 Eurobarometer survey. The analysis considers a wide variety of exposure contexts and generates hypotheses about which will matter most for each outcome based on cognitive availability processes and the optimal conditions outlined in the original ICT. The results indicate that intergroup exposure increases both positive attitudes toward immigrants and incorrect perceptions about immigrants. However, context matters. Those with exposure to immigrants among their primary networks or through their participation in sport, volunteer, and cultural activities exhibit the most pro-immigrant evaluations. Those with exposure through their neighborhoods and workplaces exhibit the most inflated perceptions. The study concludes by considering the implications of these findings for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper names habitually express the cultural and social characteristics of a group; therefore, they express collective confirmation of a sense of self-image, affiliations, and emotional anchors. The goal of this investigation is to help deepen our understanding of the onomastic identity revealed in the collective discourse and manifested through the memetic features of onyms. The research presented here consolidated onomastics, psycholinguistics, memetics, and cultural studies. The focus of this investigation is on the changing collective onomastic identity in the Ukrainian society. The data for this research was gathered from two free associative experiments carried out with Ukrainian respondents in 2006 and 2021. In both years, respondents were presented with identical lists of stimuli. Both corpora reveal proper names with memetic features that were preserved in collective memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper proposes the "fields and weapons of the competition model applied to business networks" – CAC-Redes (in Portuguese, Campos e Armas da Competição – Redes de negócio), an extension of the fields and weapons of the competition model (CAC) – to study the competition and competitiveness of companies operating in business networks in a competitive environment while integrating organizational competencies, interorganizational ties and company positioning to provide competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach: CAC-Redes is born from the cross-fertilization process of various theoretical perspectives, namely, industrial organization, traditional view of operational activities and resources, relational view, strategic alignment, transaction cost theory and social perspectives in networks, structured according to systems theory and under the mantle of competitive advantage theory. To discover the structure of existing models of competitiveness in networks, a bibliographic search was conducted in the Scopus database. Quali-quantitative empirical research was undertaken in companies from six different economic sectors through structured questionnaires and personal interviews to understand how companies competed and discover the determining factors of their competitive advantage. Findings: Only seven models of competitiveness in network were found, and their structures and characteristics are quite different from those of CAC-Redes. Empirical research confirms all the hypotheses that support CAC-Redes, which, combined with those of CAC, indicate the CAC-Redes corroboration. Research limitations/implications: CAC-Redes does not apply to networks without intercompany competition, studies on network governance and corporate strategy formulation. Practical implications: CAC-Redes is effective in studying complex competitiveness phenomena because it considers multiple influences; provides a process based on qualitative and quantitative variables that increase the probability of formulating successful competitive strategies; simplifies the differentiation of skills from core competencies and determines them; proposes a competitive advantage criterion to select suppliers; creates a unifying language to represent the different strategic specificities of companies, competitors, suppliers, customers and the company environment and provides a library containing 181 weapons (resources) and dozens of interorganizational ties that can be used in empirical studies with other methodologies. Social implications: CAC-Redes, due to its originality and peculiarities, theoretically contributes to theory of resources because it dispenses with the assumption, "unique resource, source of competitive advantage"; to relational view because it considers interorganizational relationships as a competence and treats it quali-quantitatively and to core competencies because if the strategy changes, different core competencies will be needed. Furthermore, it is an alternative to the dynamic capabilities perspective, and it transforms the five manufacturing performance objectives into nine for the entire company. Originality/value: CAC-Redes is an original model because its structure and characteristics comparatively differ from those of existing models, and 14 singularities are detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Journal of Language & Social Psychology announces the Third International Symposium on Intergroup Communication (ISIC3) to be held from June 23-26, 2025, at the University of Warsaw, Poland. The symposium aims to bring together scholars from various disciplines to discuss intergroup communication's role in society, with panels covering diverse topics such as health, culture, and current political issues. The conference will feature keynote speakers and welcomes paper submissions until January 31, 2025, with accepted proposals resulting in a special issue of the journal Psychology of Language and Communication. For more information, visit https://isic3.psych.uw.edu.pl/. [Extracted from the article]

Mainland Chinese students (MCSs) represent the largest non-local student group in Hong Kong and their adaptation experiences require more research attention than exists. This study investigates MCSs’ psychological adaptation to Hong Kong with a language and social psychological approach by invoking Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) and Willingness to Communicate in a Second Language (L2 WTC). Survey results were collected from 372 MCSs studying in Hong Kong. Structural equation modelling yielded an empirical model that describes the relations between MCSs’ perceived Cantonese competence, Cantonese use anxiety, Cantonese confidence, WTC with locals in Cantonese (Cantonese WTC), accommodative encounters and contact with locals, acculturative stress, and psychological adaptation. The model highlights the focal role of MCSs’ frequency of accommodative encounters with locals and Cantonese use anxiety in their Cantonese WTC, which underscores the situational factors (i.e. an accommodative conversational partner) in an individual’s L2 WTC. This study offers valuable insights into MCSs’ adaptation to Hong Kong from an intergroup communication perspective and provides novel theoretical contributions by empirically examining the transferability of L2 WTC to an eastern cultural context and to languages other than English as well as the simultaneous application of CAT and L2 WTC to better account for intergroup communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last four years, with the implementation of the policy of integration of the Syrian refugee students into the public schools in Turkey, there has been a significant rise in the number of Syrian students in mainstream classrooms. Based on the analysis of the discourses of Turkish teachers and students about Syrian students, this study examines the ways in which attitudes towards the Syrians in the Turkish community are reflected into the classroom context and also the ways that such attitudes shape intergroup communication as well as contribute to the construction of collective identities within the multilingual classrooms in Turkish schools. Using linguistic ethnography as a methodological approach, data were collected through classroom recordings of natural interactions, teacher interviews, informal conversations and ethnographic classroom observations. Analysis of teacher and student discourses reveals how negative portrayals of the Syrian students as guests, outsiders, deprived, incompetent, cheaters and liars are being constructed and how those adversely affect communication and teaching practices within the classrooms. The authors argue for the need of the development and implementation of holistic educational policies in the country taking multiculturalism and multilingualism as pivotal points and focusing not only on language instruction but social integration as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media depictions of interactions between members of different ethnic/racial groups can have either constructive or detrimental social impact depending on the characteristics of these representations. To advance understanding of these interracial dynamics, the linguistic characteristics of interracial interactions in scripted primetime television shows were examined. Human and computer-assisted analysis of 548 interactions involving 578 characters revealed a relatively egalitarian pattern of representation of interracial interactions. Furthermore, in line with communication accommodation theory, characters generally matched each other's language use (i.e., converged) during interracial interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes police and public reactions to an intergroup-communication intervention developed and tested in Santa Barbara, California. We discuss the theory underlying the development of the intervention as well as its implementation as a means of improving relationships between police officers and members of the Hispanic community. Based on thematic analysis of interviews with program participants, we provide qualitative evidence about police and public reactions to the intervention. The data presented herein indicate that the intervention improved empathy and trust between participants from both groups. These results suggest that interventions based on principles of intergroup communication could be a useful mechanism for improving relationships between police and historically marginalized communities. They also provide a promising framework for research on how police can translate research into practice in the area of community trust-building with groups reluctant to engage with police. Future research should begin testing the effectiveness of these types of interventions using experimental or quasi-experimental methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural resource management (NRM) increasingly relies on communicative measures to enable reframing in intractable conflicts. Reframing occurs when disputants change their perceptions of a conflict situation, and/or their preferences for dealing with it. However, the types of reframing possible, and the conditions under which they can occur, remain unclear. Through an inductive and longitudinal analysis of a mine establishment conflict in northern Sweden this paper explores to what extent, how, and under what conditions reframing can occur in intractable NRM conflicts. The findings reveal the difficulty in achieving consensus-oriented reframing. Despite multiple dispute resolution efforts, the disputants' perceptions and preferences became increasingly polarized. Nonetheless, the results suggest that it is possible to enable reframing to the extent that all disputants can understand and accept each other's different perceptions and positions, i.e., meta-consensus. Meta-consensus hinges on neutral, inclusive, equal, and deliberative intergroup communication. However, the results show that intergroup communication and reframing are significantly informed by institutional and other contextual factors. For example, when implemented within the formal governance system in the investigated case, intergroup communication lagged in quality and did not contribute to meta-consensus. Moreover, the results show that reframing is strongly influenced by the nature of the disputed issues, actors' group commitments, and the governance system's distribution of power to the actors. Based on these findings, it is argued that more efforts should focus on how governance systems can be configurated so that high-quality intergroup communication and meta-consensus can be enabled and inform decision making in intractable NRM conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a source of conflict between liberals and conservatives in the U.S., with many politicized debates focusing on college students and universities. To understand this partisan conflict and how it might be mitigated, one useful approach is to examine how collective sensemaking about the virus and virus response, as reflected in language use, has differed between different political groups. Using semantic network analysis of a corpus of college students' descriptions of their worries about COVID-19, we found that there were many similarities in sensemaking across the political spectrum, but also important differences between ideological groups. In particular, collective sensemaking for conservative students (more so than for liberal and moderate students) was organized around words related to anxiety and close personal relationships. These results have implications for addressing partisan intergroup conflict about COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participants read English-based online texts from fictional organizations that either included no code-mixing, Hawaiian words without glosses (i.e., parenthetical translations), or Hawaiian words with English glosses. Relative to no code-mixing, code-mixing without glosses disrupted processing fluency, leading participants to feel less welcome in the organization. Code-mixing with glosses did not disrupt fluency for participants from Hawai'i, where this practice is common, but did for people from elsewhere. No differences in feeling welcome emerged between code-mixing with glosses and no code-mixing conditions. These results suggest that code-mixing in written organizational materials can have both costs (i.e., disrupted fluency) and benefits (i.e., cueing inclusiveness), and that these effects depend on audiences' familiarity with code-mixing as a practice, and the format of code-mixing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an exploratory mixed-method approach was employed to investigate the attitudes of Iranians and Americans toward each other, specifically focusing on two critical incidents in their modern history. Drawing from quantitative and qualitative data collected in relation to the hostage crisis in 1979, the missile attack on an Iranian passenger plane (Iran Air 655) in 1988, and the travel ban (Executive Order 13780) in 2018, the study aimed to uncover any changes in attitudes over the course of history. Unlike previous research, the majority of participants had a more balanced and less biased viewpoint toward each other and approached the incidents by considering the consequences and ethical aspects associated with each event. These findings challenge the notion of a mirror image effect, which suggests that people tend to adopt their government's attitude toward other nations. Instead, participants demonstrated a tendency to rely on their own judgment and critically evaluate information, rather than blindly accepting media narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

10.1038/s41586-022-05057-6 15 Anpilov S., Shemesh Y., Eren N., Harony-Nicolas H., Benjamin A., Dine J., Oliveira V.E.M., Forkosh O., Karamihalev S., Huttl R.E. Wireless Optogenetic Stimulation of Oxytocin Neurons in a Semi-natural Setup Dynamically Elevates Both Pro-social and Agonistic Behaviors. Linking OXT and parental behavior, Cataldo and colleagues [[28]] aimed to extend our current knowledge of the interactions between oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphism, parental attachment, and socioemotional responses. A large body of evidence from old stimulation and lesion studies on the hypothalamus in animals and humans demonstrates that this subcortical area significantly affects socioemotional behavior [[1], [3]]; more recent optogenetic studies extended this evidence by showing that the stimulation of distinct hypothalamic nuclei elicits defensive and aggressive responses [[5], [7], [9], [11]]. In addition to the well-established relationship between oxytocin and social behavior, phoenixin, a novel peptide that has been associated with reproductive functions in both the hypothalamus and pituitary [[31]], has recently attracted attention. [Extracted from the article]

Mobile sensors can extend the range of monitoring and overcome static sensors' limitations and are increasingly used in real-life applications. Since there can be significant errors in mobile sensor localization using the Monte Carlo Localization (MCL), this paper improves the food digestion algorithm (FDA). This paper applies the improved algorithm to the mobile sensor localization problem to reduce localization errors and improve localization accuracy. Firstly, this paper proposes three inter-group communication strategies to speed up the convergence of the algorithm based on the topology that exists between groups. Finally, the improved algorithm is applied to the mobile sensor localization problem, reducing the localization error and achieving good localization results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an integrative model mapping the field of intergroup communication. Building from Lasswell’s (1948) model of communication, our map discusses how communication about and between groups can be understood by separating Lasswell’s concepts (sender/receiver, message, channel, and effect). We present the articles in the current special issue as examples fitting within the map and illustrate how the map suggests some interesting extensions of this work.

The current study examined how the composition of intergroup contexts affects intergroup communication. We propose that when multiple outgroups exist, an extreme faction can make more moderate factions appear reasonable, creating pathways for influence. We also considered the role that an influence target’s fit with their ingroup (self-prototypicality) plays in responses to outgroup influence attempts. Specifically, we propose, and the current study showed, that both the composition of intergroup context and one’s relationship with their own group can create a pathway toward convergence of opinions and willingness to accept an outgroup’s opinion position. Two experiments (American partisans, N = 249), suggest that self-prototypicality in one’s political party positively predicts agreement with an opposing party’s message when the message appears in the presence of a more extreme outgroup than the moderate outgroup alone. This study stresses the importance of considering intragroup and intergroup comparative processes for intergroup communication research.