Testing institutional support types using Cyberball on Protestants and Catholics from Northern Ireland

This research project investigates whether institutional support messaging before taking part in a team-based sports-like computer game, will lead to more positive attitudes and action intentions between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland relative to a control condition. Intergroup contact theory (Allport, 1954) specifies that equal group status, a common goal, intergroup cooperation, and institutional support are facilitating conditions for intergroup prejudice reduction. The nature and effects of institutional support, however, is less well understood- perhaps in part because it has a relatively broad definition, meaning that it has been measured in a variety of different ways. This experiment will test whether a message from the Community Relations Council, or a message that makes reference to the Good Friday Agreement (a peace agreement to stop the Troubles in Northern Ireland), relative to a control condition, will reinforce the norms of teams sports where members must play equally with other team members, which should reduce prejudice and promote positive action intentions to those from the opposite community. Participants will be recruited through Prolific Academic and must identity as either Protestant or Catholic and reside in Northern Ireland (n = 159, aged 18+). They will be randomly assigned to read one of the three messages before they begin the short computer game. This game (Cyberball) consists of 6 players (including the participant), with a total equal number of Protestants and Catholics, and 24 passes, of which the participant must make six. Protestant and Catholic characters will be noticeable through their colour (green for Catholic, blue for Protestant) and names (traditional Irish names for Catholic e.g., Aoife, and traditional English names for Protestant e.g., William). We will count the number of outgroup passes during the game and then measure outgroup anxiety, attitudes towards members of the opposite community and action intentions through a short online survey. The findings will help us understand how different types of messages impact intergroup relations between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland, and which form of message has a greater benefit attached. All data will be anonymised and shared openly after the project's completion. Results will be disseminated through a bachelor's degree research portfolio, academic publications, and presentations.