SIGNATURE WORK
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 2024

The primary objective of this paper is to explore the different forms of contact encountered by Chinese exchange students during their stay in the United States and the consequential impact on their intergroup attitudes. Drawing heavily from contact theory, the methodology involves employing a self-reported survey to measure the varying degrees of contact experienced, alongside diverse attitudinal outcomes. These exposures encompass short-term interactions (sharing food, teaming up, leisure socialization), long-term engagements (friendship diversity and roommate nation), and both positive and negative experiences with outgroups. The assessment of attitudes includes dimensions such as social dominance orientation, dehumanization, intergroup anxiety, feeling thermometer ratings, and perceptions of group hierarchy. The principal findings of this study highlight significant differences in anxiety levels and perceptions of group hierarchy toward ingroup and outgroup members among Chinese exchange students. Notably, collaborative teamwork with American college students within classroom settings emerges as pivotal in mitigating anxiety toward Americans while fostering warmer feelings. Moreover, this study underscores that the negative experiences with outgroup members correlate with heightened warmth and favorability towards ingroup members.