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Trust, Ethnic Diversity, and Personal Contact: A Field Experiment

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  • Henning Finseraas
  • Torbjørn Hanson
  • Åshild A. Johnsen
  • Andreas Kotsadam
  • Gaute Torsvik
Abstract
We study how close personal contact with minorities affects in-group and out-group trust in a field experiment in the armed forces. Soldiers are randomly assigned to rooms with or without ethnic minorities. At the end of the recruit period, we measure trust by using a trust game. Results indicate that close personal contact with minorities increases trust towards a generic immigrant. We replicate the result that individuals coming from more ethnically diverse areas trust minorities less, but random assignment to interact with minority soldiers removes this negative correlation. We conclude that social integration involving personal contact can reduce negative effects of ethnic diversity on trust.

Suggested Citation

  • Henning Finseraas & Torbjørn Hanson & Åshild A. Johnsen & Andreas Kotsadam & Gaute Torsvik, 2019. "Trust, Ethnic Diversity, and Personal Contact: A Field Experiment," CESifo Working Paper Series 7515, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_7515
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    3. Matthew Lowe, 2020. "Types of Contact: A Field Experiment on Collaborative and Adversarial Caste Integration," CESifo Working Paper Series 8089, CESifo.
    4. Gwen-Jiro Clochard, 2022. "Contact Interventions: A Meta-Analysis," Working Papers 2022-14, Center for Research in Economics and Statistics.
    5. Sonia Bhalotra & Irma Clots-Figueras & Lakshmi Iyer & Joseph Vecci, 2023. "Leader Identity and Coordination," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 105(1), pages 175-189, January.
    6. Florio, Erminia, 2022. "Contact vs. information: What shapes attitudes towards immigration? Evidence from an experiment in schools," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    7. Susanne Wallman Lundåsen, 2023. "Intergroup Contacts, Neighborhood Diversity, and Community Trust: the Asymmetrical Impact of Negative and Positive Experiences," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 163-188, March.
    8. Johnsen, Åshild A. & Finseraas, Henning & Hanson, Torbjørn & Kotsadam, Andreas, 2023. "The malleability of competitive preferences," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    9. Freddi, Eleonora & Potters, Jan & Suetens, Sigrid, 2024. "The effect of brief cooperative contact with ethnic minorities on discrimination," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 64-76.
    10. Pascal Achard & Sigrid Suetens, 2023. "The causal effect of ethnic diversity on support for redistribution and the role of discrimination," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(5), pages 1678-1696, December.
    11. Sania Ashraf & Cristina Bicchieri & Upasak Das & Tanu Gupta & Alex Shpenev, 2024. "Learning from diversity: ``jati" fractionalization, social expectations and improved sanitation practices in India," Discussion Papers 24-01, Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi.
    12. Zou, Ying & Zhong, Zhuoming & Luo, Jia, 2021. "Ethnic diversity, investment efficiency, mediating roles of trust and agency cost," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 410-420.
    13. ten Kate, Fabian & Klasing, Mariko J. & Milionis, Petros, 2023. "Societal diversity, group identities and their implications for tax morale," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 1048-1067.
    14. Jakina Debnam Guzman & Marie Christelle Mabeu & Roland Pongou, 2021. "Identity During a Pandemic: COVID-19 and Ethnic Divisions in the United States," Working Papers 2101E Classification-I14,, University of Ottawa, Department of Economics.
    15. Simon Burgess & Lucinda Platt, 2018. "Inter-ethnic relations of teenagers in England’s schools: the role of school and neighbourhood ethnic composition," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1807, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
    16. Darova, Ornella & Duchene, Anne, 2024. "Diversity in Teams: Collaboration and Performance in Experiments with Different Tasks," MPRA Paper 120519, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. repec:pra:mprapa:120375 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Dufwenberg, Martin & Feldman, Paul & Servátka, Maroš & Tarrasó, Jorge & Vadovič, Radovan, 2023. "Honesty in the city," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 15-25.
      • Dufwenberg, Martin & Servátka, Maroš & Tarrasó, Jorge & Vadovič, Radovan, 2021. "Honesty in the City," MPRA Paper 106256, University Library of Munich, Germany.
      • Martin Dufwenberg & Paul Feldman & Maros Servatka & Jorge Tarraso & Radovan Vadovic, 2022. "Honesty in the City," Working Papers 2022-03, University of Alaska Anchorage, Department of Economics.
      • Dufwenberg, Martin & Feldman, Paul & Servátka, Maroš & Tarrasó, Jorge & Vadovič, Radovan, 2022. "Honesty in the city," MPRA Paper 115044, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Juliana Londoño-Vélez, 2022. "The Impact of Diversity on Perceptions of Income Distribution and Preferences for Redistribution," NBER Working Papers 30386, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Maiti, Surya Nath & Pakrashi, Debayan & Saha, Sarani & Smyth, Russell, 2022. "Don't judge a book by its cover: The role of intergroup contact in reducing prejudice in conflict settings," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 533-548.
    21. Andersson, Henrik & Dehdari, Sirus H., 2021. "Workplace Contact and Support for Anti-Immigration Parties," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 115(4), pages 1159-1174, November.
    22. Mehic, Adrian, 2024. "Infrastructure Expansion, Tourism, and Electoral Outcomes," Working Paper Series 1490, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    23. Darova, Ornella & Duchene, Anne, 2024. "Diversity in Teams: Collaboration and Performance in Experiments with Different Tasks," MPRA Paper 121976, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    24. Simon Burgess & Lucinda Platt, 2018. "Inter-ethnic Relations of Teenagers in England’s Schools: the Role of School and Neighbourhood Ethnic Composition," Bristol Economics Discussion Papers 18/699, School of Economics, University of Bristol, UK.
    25. Sania Ashraf & Cristina Bicchieri & Upasak Das & Tanu Gupta & Alex Shpenev, 2023. "Learning from diversity: jati fractionalization, social expectations and improved sanitation practices in India," Papers 2312.15221, arXiv.org.

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