Title: Intergroup and Imagined Contact: Promoting Peace in
Cyprus
Time: Wednesday July 2, 12:00, room CG01.
Abstract:
Intergroup bias can be seen in children as young as early
and middle childhood. The aim of the following two studies was to reduce
intergroup prejudice in children in the interethnically divided context of
Cyprus. In study 1, 82 Turkish Cypriot children aged between 6-11 were
administered a questionnaire which asked questions regarding their national
identity, outgroup attitudes toward Greek Cypriots, outgroup intentions, and
contact with Greek Cypriots (i.e. prior contact, extended contact, and familial
story-telling). Turkish Cypriot children reported high national identification,
ingroup favouritism and outgroup prejudice toward Greek Cypriots. Outgroup
attitudes mediated the relationship between prior contact measures and
intentions toward future contact. Building from these findings, study 2 used a
story reading intervention to reduce prejudice toward contact with Greek
Cypriots in 28 Turkish Cypriot children aged between 6-10 in a pre-post
intervention design. After three consecutive weeks of listening to stories of
friendship and cooperation, outgroup attitudes and intentions improved. The
findings will be discussed in the context of promoting peace in Cyprus.
Bio:
Dr. Shenel Husnu Raman
BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD in Social Psychology PGCertHE,
CPsychol
Shenel Husnu Raman obtained her B.Sc. in Psychology and
M.Sc. in Social Psychology from Middle East Technical University, Turkey and
her Ph.D. from the University of Kent, UK. She worked at Kent as a part-time
lecturer until moving to the University of Derby as a Lecturer. In 2011 she joined the Department of
Psychology at Eastern Mediterranean University, North Cyprus where she became
chairperson in 2013. Dr. Raman teaches a variety of courses at both the
undergraduate and graduate level including research methods, psychology of
prejudice and advanced statistics. Her research is in the field of intergroup
relations, mainly prejudice reduction.
