Positive and negative social contacts with immigrants from different groups: Investigating the role of group appraisal and opportunity for contact using network analysis.

Publisher: Wiley Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 0107305 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1464-066X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00207594 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Int J Psychol Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: 2014- : Chichester : Wiley
Original Publication: 1966-<1978>: Paris : Dunod

Emigrants and Immigrants*; Adult ; Emigration and Immigration ; Humans ; Israel ; USSR

What can enhance positive inter-group contacts in a world of mass immigration is a subject high on the theoretical and practical agenda. However, there is a lack of research examining how contacts with different immigrant groups are related to characteristics of the group, as perceived by the receiving society. Using Threat-Benefit Theory (Tartakovsky & Walsh, 2016a, 2016b, 2019, 2020), the present study examines how different domains of positive and negative appraisal of a specific immigrant group may relate to contacts with group members. Using a representative sample of 1600 adults in the majority of the Jewish population in Israel, we applied network analysis to examine relationships between threat-benefit appraisal, opportunities for contact and levels of positive and negative contacts with four immigrant groups: diaspora immigrants from Ethiopia, Western countries and the former Soviet Union and asylum seekers. Levels of contact were related to particular domains of appraisal, which differed across immigrant groups. However, opportunities for contact had a stronger association with contact than the appraisal. Results point to a theoretical need to develop nuanced models related to inter-group contact, which consider particular characteristics of the immigrant group as perceived by the local population.
(© 2022 International Union of Psychological Science.)

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244/15 Israel Science Foundation

Keywords: Appraisal of different immigrant groups; Network analysis; Opportunity for Contact with immigrants; Positive and Negative Social Contacts with Immigrants; Threat-Benefit Theory

Date Created: 20220110 Date Completed: 20220712 Latest Revision: 20220712

20240105

10.1002/ijop.12831

35001368