The Role of Intergroup Contact, Injustice Talk and Perceived Injustice in the Demobilisation of LGBTIQ+ People and Ethnic Minorities

Abstract

We aimed to identify conditions when positive contact with advantaged groups leads and does not lead to the demobilisation of disadvantaged group members (i.e., lower collective action for social change). In a pre-registered, multinational survey study, we tested the moderating role of the content of intergroup contact experiences, such as talking about injustice (i.e., injustice talk), and indicators of perceived injustice, such as perceived inequality and perceived intergroup hostility, among LGBTIQ+ people (N = 3617) and ethnic minority members (N = 988), respectively. We replicated the demobilisation contact effect among LGBTIQ+ people: positive intergroup contact predicted lower intention to engage in collective action and lower actual involvement in collective action. In the ethnic minority sample, intergroup contact had a significant demobilising effect only on actual involvement in collective action, but not on intention. In addition, we found that engaging in injustice talk was associated with a weaker demobilisation effect of positive intergroup contact among LGBTIQ+ people, but with a stronger demobilisation effect among ethnic minority members. Among both groups, the effects of positive contact were moderated neither by perceived hostility nor perceived inequality. The results highlight the importance of considering both the benefits and the limitations of injustice talk in intergroup contact situations.