Intergroup contact buffers influence of objective and perceived peer norms on prejudice among adolescents

While previous research has shown that intergroup contact can serve as a buffer moderating the effect of country-level social norms on intergroup attitudes, there is limited research on proximal norms in this dynamic. During adolescence, proximal norms, i.e. peer norms, become important sources of information and guide intergroup attitudes and behavior. It is an open question whether intergroup contact may also buffer the effect of peer norms. We conducted a two-wave panel study with adolescents testing the buffering effect of objective and perceived peer norms on prejudice. Results showed that the influence of both objective and perceived peer norms only affected prejudice significantly among adolescents who have not made new outgroup contacts, while it was non-significant among those whose contact numbers increased. Overall, findings suggest that intergroup contact might play a crucial role by shielding individuals from peer norms that support prejudice.