Abstract

Can a brief personal interaction with a person from an ethnic minority reduce discrimination? We run a natural field experiment with small teams of Dutch high-school pupils who engage in a cooperative task, accompanied by either a majority or a minority team member. One month later, the pupils participated in experimental games with a minority or majority partner. Pupils who have no peers from an ethnic minority in their regular school classes displayed less discrimination against a minority partner if they had been assigned to a team with a minority member. The results show that even a brief cooperative interaction with minorities can reduce discrimination by individuals who lack prior personal contact.

Reference

Sigrid Suetens (Tilburg University), “’A cooperative experience with ethnic minorities reduces discrimination”, Behavior, Institutions, and Development Seminar, December 10, 2020, 11:00–12:30, room Zoom.