Media channels and the secondary transfer effect: influences on willingness to interact with Asian international students in Japan mediated by outgroup morality perception

This study examines the Secondary Transfer Effect (STE) in a non-Western context by investigating how Japanese university students' contact with immigrants and LGBTQ individuals relates to their willingness to interact with Asian international students. Using data from 299 Japanese undergraduates and path analyses, we assessed four contact channels: direct interactions, traditional mass media, recreational media, and social media. Findings show that direct contact is strongly associated with perceived outgroup morality, making it the most reliable channel. Recreational media contact also correlates with higher perceived morality, suggesting it as another promising avenue. In contrast, traditional mass media and social media contacts show weaker or inconsistent links with outgroup morality, indicating that these channels may be less effective in fostering positive perceptions. The STE also differs as a function of the primary outgroup, the transfer medium and the psychological mechanism. For LGBTQ individuals, STE appears across all channels, while for immigrants it is most evident in direct contact and recreational media. Notably, negative traditional mass media contact with immigrants directly predicted willingness to interact-bypassing morality mediation-and negative news portrayals of LGBTQ individuals were paradoxically linked to higher perceived morality, highlighting how both the specific outgroup and the medium shape STE outcomes. Although immigrants and international students are generally viewed as separate social categories in Japan, we acknowledge some residual conceptual overlap and note this as a limitation. Overall, the study extends STE research beyond Western contexts and offers guidance for inclusivity interventions.