The mayor in your city has been dealing with a clash between downtown business owners and the homeless. Business owners are constantly calling the police about loitering and homeless people often vandalize "unfriendly" businesses. The mayor decides to set up a program where business owners and the homeless have a luncheon at the park together and each business owner is matched to a homeless person who they "sponsor" for the year, providing food and clean clothes throughout the year. The program is a huge success and the conflicts between the groups end within a year. The success can be explained by:
A) the contact hypothesis.
B) self-serving bias.
C) the just-world hypothesis.
D) entrapment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The success can be explained by the contact hypothesis, which suggests that bringing members of different groups together in a positive context can reduce prejudice and improve intergroup relations. By setting up the luncheon and sponsor program, the business owners and homeless individuals were able to interact and get to know each other as individuals, rather than just as members of opposing groups. This led to increased understanding and empathy, which helped to resolve the conflicts between them.

The Mayor in Your City Has Been Dealing with a Clash