Professor Michał Bilewicz, a scholar of the Center for Research on Prejudice at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Warsaw (UW) and Olga Kuzawińska, a student of this faculty, are co-authors of the publication, which appeared on January 27 in the journal Nature Human Behavior. The work concerns the impact of intergroup contact on the readiness of members of minority and majority groups to combat actively discrimination.

The article discusses the results of research conducted in 69 countries by teams consisting of social researchers, mainly psychologists. International analyzes have shown that people from majority groups who experience contact with people different from them will be more ready to engage in activities to improve the situation of minority groups (e.g. immigrants or homosexuals) than people without such experience.

On the other hand, contact may demobilize minorities and weaken their efforts to secure their rights. The publication also provides new methodological guidelines for research on social change and intercultural contact.