Which statement reflects contact theory as it relates to biases?

Which statement reflects contact theory as it relates to biases?

• A. Positive contact with groups reduces both conscious and implicit biases.
• B. The legal framework that restricts police discretion.
• C. It increases biases.
• D. Contact theory concerns procedural steps

Answer: (A)

Contact theory says that when people from different groups interact in positive, cooperative contexts, prejudice can decrease. This happens because direct contact helps individuals see others as people rather than as stereotypes, reduces intergroup anxiety, and supports learning about outgroup members' similarities and differences. When the conditions are right—equal status, shared goals, cooperative activities, and institutional support—the interactions can also weaken automatic, unconscious biases as people form more accurate, nuanced associations with the other group. The statement that positive contact with groups reduces both conscious and implicit biases captures this broad effect, reflecting how contact can influence what people consciously think and the automatic associations they hold. The other options don’t fit because they either shift focus away from interaction between groups or describe outcomes/areas not addressed by contact theory. A legal framework restricting police discretion concerns policy structure rather than intergroup contact. Saying it increases biases contradicts the theory’s core idea. And describing contact theory as about procedural steps misstates the theory, which is about the social dynamics of direct intergroup contact and its impact on bias.

Contact theory says that when people from different groups interact in positive, cooperative contexts, prejudice can decrease. This happens because direct contact helps individuals see others as people rather than as stereotypes, reduces intergroup anxiety, and supports learning about outgroup members' similarities and differences. When the conditions are right—equal status, shared goals, cooperative activities, and institutional support—the interactions can also weaken automatic, unconscious biases as people form more accurate, nuanced associations with the other group. The statement that positive contact with groups reduces both conscious and implicit biases captures this broad effect, reflecting how contact can influence what people consciously think and the automatic associations they hold.

The other options don’t fit because they either shift focus away from interaction between groups or describe outcomes/areas not addressed by contact theory. A legal framework restricting police discretion concerns policy structure rather than intergroup contact. Saying it increases biases contradicts the theory’s core idea. And describing contact theory as about procedural steps misstates the theory, which is about the social dynamics of direct intergroup contact and its impact on bias.