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# Perspective-Taking Increases Willingness to Engage in Intergroup Contact

## Details

**Authors** Wang et al.

**Year** 2014

**Publisher** Public Library of Science One

**Discipline** Sociology

[Read it at the publisher](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0085681) 
10.1371/journal.pone.0085681

## In authors' words

### Abstract

The current research explored whether perspective-taking increases willingness to engage in contact with stereotyped outgroup members. Across three studies, we find that perspective-taking increases willingness to engage in contact with negatively-stereotyped targets. In Study 1, perspective-takers sat closer to, whereas stereotype suppressors sat further from, a hooligan compared to control participants. In Study 2, individual differences in perspective-taking tendencies predicted individuals' willingness to engage in contact with a hooligan, having effects above and beyond those of empathic concern. Finally, Study 3 demonstrated that perspective-taking's effects on intergroup contact extend to the target's group (i.e., another homeless man), but not to other outgroups (i.e., a man of African descent). Consistent with other perspective-taking research, our findings show that perspective-taking facilitates the creation of social bonds by increasing contact with stereotyped outgroup members.

### What they set out to do (purpose)

To research whether taking another’s perspective increased intergroup contact with outgroup or stereotyped members of the group.

### What they found (results)

They found that the participants who went through the perspective-taking exercise (instead of the control) sat on average closer to the outgroup member than all the other groups. Therefore, “perspective-taking tendencies were associated with greater willingness to engage in contact...” Overall, they found that active perspective taking helped people interact with the entire outgroup more positively. This research showed that perspective-taking “increased individuals’ willingness to engage in contact with stereotyped outgroup members.”

## Commentary

### In short

Overall, the body of research on perspective shows that the more aware one is of their own and the perspective of others leads to better communication, interrelations, increased empathy, and prosocial behavior.

### In more detail

Wang et al 2014 researched whether taking another’s perspective increased intergroup contact with outgroup or stereotyped members of the group. They did 3 experiments, the first measured how close participants sat to members of an outgroup after going through a perspective-taking exercise. The 116 undergraduate students tested had to write a narrative essay about a person in a photograph (a young Asian man with spiky hair and tattoos). They manipulated the instructions so that there was a perspective-taking condition, a suppression condition, and two control conditions. The first control condition had the participants take an “objective focus” and the second control condition did not provide participants instructions at all. After they wrote the essay, the man in the photo was in another room that the participants were brought into. The distance the participants chose to sit from the man was measured. They found that the participants who went through the perspective-taking exercise (instead of the control) sat on average closer to the outgroup member than all the other groups.

The second experiment had 31 undergraduate students as participants. The set up was the same, except that instead of measuring how close they sat to the man in the photo, they measured their willingness to meet the man in the photo another time. Therefore, “perspective-taking tendencies were associated with greater willingness to engage in contact...” The third study tested if taking one outgroup members perspective led to a shifting perspective on the group itself. The 148 participants were shown a picture of a homeless man and were asked to write their essays on a day in his life. All conditions were the same as the first experiment. They were then asked how many additional activities (1-6) they were willing to

participate in with another homeless man. Overall, they found that active perspective taking helped people interact with the entire outgroup more positively. This research showed that perspective-taking “increased individuals’ willingness to engage in contact with stereotyped outgroup members.” Overall, the body of research on perspective shows that the more aware one is of their own and the perspective of others leads to better communication, interrelations, increased empathy, and prosocial behavior.

**Patterns it shows** P

**How to cite this** Wang et al. (2014). Perspective-Taking Increases Willingness to Engage in Intergroup Contact. Public Library of Science One.