The present and the future of the contact hypothesis, and the need for integrating research fields

There is no doubt that the contact hypothesis, proposed by Allport in his classic book The Nature of Prejudice (1954), has been remarkably influential in social psychology. The basic premise of the contact hypothesis is that contact between individuals who belong to different groups can foster the development of more positive out-group attitudes. Why is the issue of intergroup contact so popular in social psychology research? A possible answer is that prejudice and conflict remain intractable characteristics of the societies in which we live, despite attempts of politicians and policymakers to successfully implement social change. As such, contact and its effectiveness at improving out-group attitudes has been an appealing and enduring research topic for social scientists