ABSTRACT
Hundreds of research papers and book chapters on intergroup contact have appeared during the last few decades. We have noted how this intense renewed interest in Allport's (1954) “hypothesis” has led to a burgeoning area of the social psychology of intergroup relations. The modest “hypothesis” has now expanded into a developed theory (Brown & Hewstone, 2005; Pettigrew, 1998). In this final chapter, we will review the varied dynamics of intergroup contact theory, offer suggestions for future work to advance our understanding of intergroup contact's complexities, and close by considering the implications of intergroup contact theory for social policy in intergroup relations.
