Building Social Cohesion Through Intergroup Contact: Evaluation of a Large-Scale Intervention to Improve Intergroup Relations Among Adolescents

Abstract Past research has found intergroup contact to be a promising intervention reduce prejudice and identified adolescence as the developmental period during which is most effective. Few studies, however, have tested whether contact-based interventions can scaled up improve relations at large scale. The present evaluated when National Citizen Service, large-scale reaching one in six 15- 17-year-olds England Northern Ireland, builds social cohesion among adolescents from different ethnic backgrounds. In diverse sample of ( N = 2099; M age 16.37, range: 15–17 years; 58% female), this study used pretest–posttest design with double pretest assess intervention’s effectiveness. Controlling for test–retest effects, evidence that decreased anxiety increased outgroup perspective-taking—but not it affected attitudes, trust, or perceptions relative (dis-)advantage. These (small) effects were greater who had experienced less positive before participating talked more about group differences while participating. findings suggest might immediately relations—but potential prepare adolescents, especially those experiences intervention, interactions future.