More than just virtual communication: Examining Canadian volunteers’ virtual contact experiences with refugees
Abstract
Canada plays a key role in addressing the ‘global refugee crisis’ as it accepts more refugees per capita than any other country. Although Canadians increasingly view support for immigration and multiculturalism as integral components of their national identity, the number of immigrants and refugees Canada accepts yearly is an increasingly polarized issue. In line with the Intergroup Contact Hypothesis, the current study investigated how Canadian volunteers’ repeated virtual contact experiences with refugees affected their generalized attitudes towards refugees over time. Our findings did not suggest that the quality and quantity of participants’ virtual contact experiences affected their attitudes. The findings did suggest, however, that potentially related variables, such as feelings of intergroup anxiety, were associated with the volunteers’ generalized attitudes. The implications of the results, and suggestions for future research, are discussed.