Gordon Allport was an American psychologist who mainly focused on the study of personality. In his 1951 reading, Allport majored on the nature of prejudice which apparently structured the study of intergroup discrimination used as a guideline on the research on prejudice.
The reading on the nature of prejudice disputes the assumption that group typecasts are simply the abnormal cognitive distortion of personalities that are prejudiced and rather suggested that cognitive components of prejudice were natural extensions of standard processes. He concluded that type casts and prejudgments were not abnormal at all.
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Like Prejudice, Allport suggested a feedback model with different effects on prejudice and its remedies. He builds his arguments on aggression that he claims on it. Therefore, acting out of aggression rather than leading to relief and less aggression, increases the likelihood that further aggression will be in expression. He further urges in the article, The Nature of Prejudice that governments formulate policies that have an obligation to reduce the level of prejudice in the United States and other parts of the entire world.
In his work, Allport gave a broad perspective on intergroup contact. He argued that contact between the different members of various groups on certain terms can collaborate to reduce the level of prejudice and the possible conflicts that are likely to come along. His optimistic view of this cooperation would lead to an improved social relation; it would contribute to success through the groups mediating factors and above all, intergroup contact is beneficial in reducing prejudice and promoting a more tolerant and integrated society. In this way, the study of psychology can save the world a great deal.
Intergroup contacts based on different situations laid on some four features; intergroup cooperation, equal status, common goals and finally supported by institutional authorities. All these factors when putting under some considerations will help mitigate prejudice. Allport suggested that conditions should be best perceived as of an enabling, rather than an important, nature.
There is a close connection between Allport's reading and Gergen’s, an American psychologist. Gergen suggests that individuals want to view themselves as the exclusive and freely acting agent which is another factor that contributes to the instability of social psychological principles. In this sense, there will be constant group conflicts as firmly suggested in Allport's theory of intergroup contact. The difference in ideas and thoughts leads to conflicts of interest in pursuit of a common goal.
Cancer as another psychologist argues that critical social psychology could assist us in understanding the reason as to why people comply to situations of oppression. It could teach us to collaborate with one another and form a stable block and emancipate themselves from such. It could help in power and resource sharing equally and equitably but with the narrow methodologies confines the people to focus mainly on themselves as individuals which illusions the possibility of group achievements. Allport has the same ideas of individuals coming together and building themselves socially as suggested by his theory of intergroup contact.
Intergroup contact theory characterised by some components such as; equal status, intergroup cooperation, common goals and all these are supported by social and institutional authorities as described by Pettigrew who is also a psychologist . Different people of the same status especially friends come together, and in this association, they work closely to achieve a common goal through the help of their diverse abilities. For a better association, they have to draw the social boundaries that will help them focus on the primary goal.
The theory of intergroup contact is very helpful in mitigating prejudice. This approach does not affect explicit self-report measures of prejudice but also help reduce prejudice. Intergroup contact theory help lessens prejudice that is as a result of generalisation and overview made about an entire group based on incomplete information. Therefore, intergroup contact theory is great support towards achieving success.
