AUTHOR=Carriere Kevin R. , Hallenbeck Gregory , Sullivan Delaney , Ghion Rebecca 

TITLE=You are not like the rest of them: disrupting meta-perceptions dilutes dehumanization

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Social Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 2 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/social-psychology/articles/10.3389/frsps.2024.1369709

DOI=10.3389/frsps.2024.1369709

ISSN=2813-7876

ABSTRACT=Political polarization, fueled by conflicting meta-perceptions, presents a critical obstacle to constructive discourse and collaboration. Previous research shows that meta-perceptions -how one group perceives another group's views of them -are often inaccurate and can lead to detrimental outcomes such as increased hostility and dehumanization. Traditional interventions to correct these inaccurate metaperceptions have shown limited effectiveness in increasing intergroup contact. In this paper, we introduce and experimentally test a novel approach that exposes participants to atypical members of an opposing group who either confirm or disrupt their existing meta-perceptions. The goal is to investigate the potential of these interactions in reducing dehumanization and fostering willingness for future interaction. Our research adds a new dimension to the existing body of work by examining the efficacy of alternative intervention strategies to improve intergroup relations in politically polarized settings.