Humans adapt to social diversity over time

Title: Humans adapt to social diversity over time
Creator: Ramos, Miguel R.; Bennett, Matthew R.; Massey, Douglas S.; Hewstone, Miles
Relation: National Academy of Sciences. Proceedings Vol. 116, Issue 25, p. 12244-12249
Publisher Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1818884116
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
Resource Type: journal article
Date: 2019
Description: Humans have evolved cognitive processes favoring homogeneity, stability, and structure. These processes are, however, incompatible with a socially diverse world, raising wide academic and political concern about the future of modern societies. With data comprising 22 y of religious diversity worldwide, we show across multiple surveys that humans are inclined to react negatively to threats to homogeneity (i.e., changes in diversity are associated with lower self-reported quality of life, explained by a decrease in trust in others) in the short term. However, these negative outcomes are compensated in the long term by the beneficial influence of intergroup contact, which alleviates initial negative influences. This research advances knowledge that can foster peaceful coexistence in a new era defined by globalization and a socially diverse future.
Subject: social diversity; trust; intergroup contact; well-being; health
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1459091
Identifier: uon:45575
Identifier: ISSN:0027-8424
Language: eng
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