Article C - 3

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In their study, "Positive and negative intergroup contact predict Black and White
Americans' judgments about police violence against Black Americans," Hayward, Hornsey,
Tropp, and Barlow (2020) aim to investigate the impact of intergroup contact on judgments
about police violence against Black Americans among Black and White Americans. The authors
argue that intergroup contact, which is defined as "interactions with members of other racial
groups that promote positive feelings and reduce prejudice," and negative intergroup contact,
described as "interactions with members of other racial groups that promote negative feelings
and increase prejudice," could have different effects on judgments about police violence against
Black Americans.
The authors use a large and diverse sample of 485 Black and White American
participants. The study's sample size is a methodological strength, as it enhances the
generalizability of the study's findings. The authors also report that their sample is diverse in age,
gender, education, and political ideology, which further strengthens the external validity of the
study's findings. Participants were recruited through online platforms, and the authors note that
they aimed to recruit a diverse sample, which is essential for reducing the potential for sampling
bias. However, the authors need to provide more information on the representativeness of their
sample, which is a limitation of the study.
The authors measure judgments about police violence against Black Americans using a
Likert scale, a widely used method for measuring attitudes and opinions. Participants were asked
to rate their agreement with statements such as "Police violence against Black Americans is a
serious problem" and "Police violence against Black Americans is often justified." However, the
authors acknowledge that their study's dependent variable is self-reported, which could introduce
Article Critique
social desirability bias. Participants might not want to report their true beliefs, particularly on
contentious and sensitive topics, such as police violence against Black Americans.
The study found out that positive and negative intergroup contact predict judgments
about police violence against Black Americans among Black and White Americans. Specifically,
participants who report more positive intergroup contact with Black Americans were more likely
to have negative judgments about police violence against Black Americans. In contrast,
participants who report more negative intergroup contact with Black Americans were more likely
to have favorable judgments about police violence against Black Americans. These findings are
consistent with previous research that found positive intergroup contact is associated with
reduced prejudice and negative intergroup contact with the increased predisposition.
One of the study's limitations is that it only examines the role of intergroup contact on
judgments about police violence against Black Americans and does not consider other factors
that could also impact these judgments. For example, prior experiences with police, exposure to
media coverage of police violence, and political ideology could all influence how Black and
White Americans evaluate police violence against Black Americans. Future research could
incorporate these variables into their study design to provide a more comprehensive
understanding of the factors that influence judgments about police violence against Black
Americans.
The authors provide an insightful interpretation of their findings, arguing that the results
suggest that intergroup contact can play a vital role in reducing bias and increasing empathy
toward groups often the targets of discrimination and violence. The authors note that the findings
are particularly relevant given the ongoing protests against police brutality and systemic racism
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in the United States. The authors conclude that efforts to promote positive intergroup relations,
such as interracial interactions and intergroup dialogue, could reduce prejudice and improve
perceptions of police violence against Black Americans.

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Reference
Hayward, L. E., Hornsey, M. J., Tropp, L. R., & Barlow, F. K. (2020). Positive and negative
intergroup contact predict Black and White Americans’ judgments about police violence against
Black Americans. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 11(5), 637-646. doi:
10.1177/1948550619887408

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participants. The study's sample size is a methodological strength, as it enhances the

sample, which is a limitation of the study.

perceptions of police violence against Black Americans.

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