What reduces prejudice in the real world? A meta-analysis of prejudice reduction field experiments
Despite advances to promote acceptance and equity in many countries, prejudice remains a significant social problem. Promoting intergroup harmony requires knowledge about what works to reduce prejudice in community settings. This systematic review and meta-analysis of field experiments undertaken since 2009 reveals the most effective intervention types and conditions for reducing negative attitudes towards minority groups in real-world settings. Across 34 intervention arms and 7522 participants, results reveal that prejudice reduction interventions are effective at improving attitudes towards minority groups in real world settings (SMD = 0.37, [0.19; 0.56] 95 per cent confidence interval). Subgroup analyses indicate that some of the less commonly explored approaches, such as perceived variability and perspective taking, may have larger effect sizes than those using contact-based interventions. Additionally, results show that interventions are more effective for primary and secondary students than other groups, and further, the effect of prejudice reduction interventions endures over time.