A future focus for imagined contact: Advances in and beyond intergroup relations

Imagined intergroup contact is a new application of intergroup contact theory that can be implemented as a stimulus, or substitute, for actual intergroup contact. In this chapter we review the current state of imagined contact research, and offer an agenda for continued investigation. We begin by demonstrating how imagined contact has been shown to impact a range of outcomes related to the promotion of positive intergroup relations. We then consider what questions the field needs now to answer, if we are to translate research from the laboratory to implementation and intervention. Finally, we identify several new areas of investigation that have emerged from a renewed interest in mental imagery, stimulated by imagined contact research. These applications to behavioral domains, ranging from economics to innovation, suggest that despite its simplicity, imagined contact techniques can have powerful positive effects both within and beyond intergroup relations.