Cross-group friendship, extended contact, and humanity attributions to homosexuals

The aim of the present paper was to test whether cross-group friendships and extended contact (knowing that ingroup members have a friendly relationship with outgroup members) are related to reduced outgroup infrahumanization. The relationship between heterosexuals and homosexuals was considered. Participants were university students; all were heterosexual. A questionnaire was used and structural equation models were evaluated. Findings showed that only extended contact was related to reduced infrahumanization and increased outgroup humanization; the key-mediator in these relationships was the mechanism of including the outgroup in the self. Practical implications of findings are discussed.