2024/03/26 by Shelley McKeown, Gian Antonio Di Bernardo, Jaysan Charlesford +3 · 5 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Early Childhood Education and Development #Ethnic group #Inclusion (mineral) #Norm (philosophy) #Political science #Psychology #Social and Intergroup Psychology #Social psychology #Sociology #Youth Development and Social Support
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/jasp.13027
published in Journal of Applied Social Psychology 54(5), 247-257 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 2024/03/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Abstract Social norms are important predictors of youth attitudes and behaviours. There is substantial evidence that positive and meaningful intergroup contact supported by inclusive norms can have a range of benefits beyond prejudice reduction. The present research explores whether perceived peer inclusion norms and perceived norms of equality in school are associated with better quality and more frequent intergroup contact and in turn, whether these are associated with better academic self‐efficacy. To test these assertions, we conducted a cross‐sectional survey with ethnic majority and ethnic minority youth aged 11–12 ( n = 629, 48% female, 43% minority ethnic) attending one of four ethnically diverse secondary schools in England. In support of our hypotheses, we found that both perceived inclusive peer norms and perceived school equality norms were associated with higher quantity and quality of contact for both ethnic majority and minority group youth. An indirect effect was observed whereby perceived peer norms of inclusion and school norms of equality were associated with higher academic self‐efficacy through higher quality outgroup contact for both groups. No indirect effect was observed for contact quantity. Findings evidence the importance of perceived peer and school equality norms as well as intergroup contact effects for outcomes that go beyond prejudice reduction, in this case academic self‐efficacy.