Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2024
Abstract
Counseling represents a form of intergroup communication that could theoretically lead to less intergroup anxiety and prejudice but represents a form of intergroup contact that has not previously been studied. Two hundred and ninety-two undergraduate college students were recruited to participate in a single 30-minute peer counseling session with either a White, an Asian, or an African American counselor. Participants were randomly assigned to either in-group or out-group counselors. Results indicated that intergroup communication in counseling significantly reduced participants’ racial intergroup anxiety although the findings for prejudice were less uniform. This study not only extends research on intergroup contact theory but also provides a practical tool to improve intergroup outcomes by developing a peer counseling mental health intervention.
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2024 (Romy RW and Nick Joyce). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd). Available at http://ijoc.org.
Repository Citation
RW, Romy, and Nick Joyce. “Effects of Intergroup Communication on Intergroup Anxiety and Prejudice Through Single Sessions of Peer Counseling in Online Settings.” International Journal of Communication 18 (December 26, 2023): 24. https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/20786.
