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Reducing prejudice in childhood requires changing group norms that often perpetuate prejudicial attitudes and in-group bias. Research has shown that intergroup contact is one of the most effective means to reduce prejudice. Yet little research has examined whether intergroup contact in the form of class discussions that challenge negative group norms might promote the desire to play with diverse peers. This study tested whether a classroom intervention program, Developing Inclusive Youth, which included experiences of direct and indirect contact, would increase children’s desire for contact with diverse peers and reduce reported experiences of social exclusion. A multisite randomized control trial was implemented with 983 students (502 females; 58.5% White; Mage = 9.64 years) and 48 teachers in 48 third, fourth, and fifth grade classrooms across six schools. Overall, students in the program displayed more positive expectations about play with diverse peers and fewer experiences with social exclusion. Classroom discussions involved challenging group norms that perpetuate same-group preferences. Children’s grade moderated their desire for contact with peers from some but not all social groups. This type of program may be an effective means for increasing positive, inclusive group norms in childhood, as this is a time in development when attitudes and preferences for peer friendships are forming. Increasing positive intergroup norms in the classroom creates academic learning environments that promote healthy child development
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This content will become publicly available on December 8, 2026
Random Roommates, Broader Minds: Why Higher Ed Should Invest in Intergroup Contact
As U.S. campuses grow more diverse, university policy choices determine whether cross-group encounters produce connection or division. Drawing on decades of intergroup contact research, this paper highlights randomized roommate assignments as a scalable institutional policy to increase meaningful cross-group contact. We show that intergroup contact decreases prejudice, increases belonging, and boosts cognitive benefits to both students in the roommate pair (e.g., creativity, perspective-taking) only when structured under conditions of equal status, shared goals, and institutional support. Using empirical evidence and case examples, we recommend concrete policy choices to maximize benefits and mitigate harms: match students based on shared interests, implement living–learning communities, provide facilitated intergroup dialogue and intercultural training for students and resident advisors, maintain clear roommate reassignment pathways, and sustain public commitments to multicultural inclusion. When accompanied by such supports, randomized roommate policies can reduce intergroup bias, strengthen student retention and belonging, and foster a campus culture of equity. Thoughtful implementation, not contact alone, determines whether diversity becomes a catalyst of inclusion or a source of strain.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2042433
- PAR ID:
- 10652280
- Publisher / Repository:
- Sage Journals
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences
- ISSN:
- 2372-7322
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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