Research Article
Does intergroup contact affect personality? A longitudinal study on the bidirectional relationship between intergroup contact and personality traits
Loris Vezzali,
Rhiannon Turner, Dora Capozza, Elena Trifiletti,
Corresponding Author
Loris Vezzali
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
Correspondence
Loris Vezzali, Dipartimento di Educazione e Scienze Umane, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, viale Allegri 9, 42121 Reggio Emilia, Italy.
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorLoris Vezzali,
Rhiannon Turner, Dora Capozza, Elena Trifiletti,
Corresponding Author
Loris Vezzali
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
Correspondence
Loris Vezzali, Dipartimento di Educazione e Scienze Umane, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, viale Allegri 9, 42121 Reggio Emilia, Italy.
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
We conducted a longitudinal study to test whether, in addition to being predicted by personality, intergroup contact is longitudinally associated with personality traits. Participants were 388 majority (Italian) and 109 minority (immigrant) first-year high school students. Results revealed a bidirectional relationship between contact and personality: Quality of contact was longitudinally associated with greater agreeableness and openness to experience, whereas agreeableness and openness to experience were longitudinal predictors of contact quality. An unexpected negative longitudinal association also emerged between quantity of contact and agreeableness. These effects were not moderated by group of belonging (majority vs. minority). Our findings highlight the importance of integrating research on intergroup contact with research on personality.
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