Takes one to open many: A field study assessing a representative contact Intervention

Intervening to improve intergroup relations is a complex and resource-intensive endeavor. Here, to promote better intergroup relations efficiently and effectively, we examine a school-based intergroup contact intervention, involving a group of (majority) group members and a representative of a minority group (i.e., representative contact). We assess this approach in a large-scale field study in 41 schools in Israel and the West Bank, in which Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) representatives engaged in a 2-hour face-to-face discussion with groups of non-Haredi adolescents. Compared to pre-intervention levels, participants that engaged in representative contact exhibited less prejudice, more positive meta-perceptions, perceived the norms in their school to be more tolerant, and showed more willingness to learn about and engage in future meetings with Haredi group members. Our findings provide evidence from the field for the potential utility of representative contact in schools, as a cost-effective intervention to improve intergroup relations.