Contact research has well documented the beneficial effects of cross-group interactions in general, and friendship potential in particular, in promoting positive attitudes toward outgroups. Yet, most of the studies to date have mainly focused on reducing negative attitudes and prejudice. Extending emerging attempts in social and psychological research to understand positive outgroup orientations, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between cross-group friendship and allophilia (i.e., positive outgroup attitudes) in a sample of 406 American undergraduates. The study also examined whether individual differences in multicultural personality play a moderating role in this relationship. Findings revealed that cross-group friendship was positively associated with allophilia, and that the relationship was stronger for individuals who scored low on open-mindedness and high on social initiative. The present study highlights the important role of multicultural personality in the linkage between close cross-group interactions and positive outgroup attitudes.
Keywords: Cross-group friendship; allophilia; intergroup contact; multicultural personality; positive outgroup attitudes.