Contact as Cognitive Liberalization: A Meta-Analysis on Intergroup Contact, Need for Cognitive Closure, and Prejudice

Recent theorization on cognitive liberalization suggests that intergroup contact can reduce prejudice by fostering more open and flexible cognitive styles. Building on this idea, we test whether contact may not only reduce prejudice but also transform the cognitive dispositions that sustain it. Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a meta-analysis of 18 studies (total N = 4,296) examining the relationship between intergroup contact and Need for Cognitive Closure (NCC), across different operationalizations of direct contact (quality, quantity, multicultural experience). The random-effects model showed a significant negative association between contact and NCC (r = −.16, 95% CI [−.22, −.09]), moderated by the type of contact: the effect was stronger for multicultural experiences (r = −.33, k=5) and contact quality (r = −.16, k=9), but non-significant for contact quantity (r = .02, k=4). A meta-analytic structural equation model (MASEM) confirmed a partial mediation of prejudice through NCC: contact predicted lower NCC (a = −.15, p < .001), which in turn predicted higher prejudice (b = .20, p < .001). The indirect effect (a×b = −.03, 95% CI [−.05, −.02]) supports the view of contact as a process of cognitive liberalization, whereby positive, meaningful intergroup experiences foster cognitive openness (less NCC) and, consequently, less prejudice.